Multiple sclerosis: causes and treatment at home

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects 5 people per 10,000 people. The name "disseminated" was given to the disease due to the multiple demyelinating lesions that occur unevenly in the brain and spinal cord, and has nothing to do with forgetfulness. Treatment for multiple sclerosis is a long-term process that helps slow the progression of the disease. Scientists have developed progressive methods, regimens and drugs to achieve sustainable complete remission.

What are the possible consequences of multiple sclerosis in men and women?

The disease has a chronic course. The prognosis and possible consequences depend on the gender, age of the patient, the course of MS, and what the symptoms were at the onset of the disease. On average, sick people live 5-10 years less than healthy people. Almost half live to age 60 or older.

Over time, serious complications may arise:

• convulsions, fits, as in epilepsy;
• muscle stiffness;
• paralysis, usually in the leg muscles;
• severe memory impairment;
• mood swings;
• urinary and stool incontinence;
• depression.

Multiple sclerosis is a serious disease and requires individually tailored treatment. The patient should be regularly monitored by a neurologist.

An effective remedy for sclerosis

Treatment of sclerosis is carried out at the Yusupov Hospital using various drugs that have different effects. Thus, some medications reduce muscle hypertonicity, eliminate increased bladder activity, and help improve intelligence and coordination of movements.

The achievements of modern medicine, used by neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital, make it possible to correct various disorders in sclerosis. When treating patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, the drug Lemtrada is used, which is supplied directly from the manufacturer in France. The effectiveness of this product has been proven by numerous foreign studies.

Treatment of multiple sclerosis in Moscow at Medicine 24/7

During an exacerbation of the disease, corticosteroids are used - preparations of the adrenal cortex. They suppress immune reactions and inflammation. If the symptoms are very severe and medications do not help cope with them, they resort to plasmapheresis, a blood purification procedure.

To prevent attacks and slow down the progression of the disease, special drugs are used that change the course of multiple sclerosis - DMTs. They began to be widely used at the end of the 20th century. Treatment of PED is a rather complex process. The doctor must have the appropriate competence, be able to select the right combination of drugs, and guide the patient on them. Today in Moscow there are multiple sclerosis treatment centers that deal with this area of ​​therapy.

Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MSD) should begin as early as possible, after the diagnosis is established - in this case, the best effect can be achieved. But even if the patient’s condition has deteriorated significantly, this is not a reason to give up. Contact a specialist.

You can consult an experienced neurologist. Call to make an appointment with a doctor on a weekday or weekend.

Depending on which nerve fibers are affected, the manifestations of multiple sclerosis may vary. In addition, the course of the disease varies. As a rule, the first symptoms begin to bother you at the age of 20-40. Women get sick more often than men.

Pulse therapy

In cases of exacerbation of symptoms of multiple sclerosis or the appearance of new symptoms, pulse therapy is used - intravenous administration of loading doses of a hormonal drug.

The best results are shown by the administration of 6-methylprednisolone. This drug has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and immunomodulatory effects.

The hormonal agent is administered intravenously through a dropper. The duration of the course is from 3 to 7 days. Pulse therapy at the Medicine 24/7 clinic is carried out according to protocols that have proven their effectiveness based on the results of clinical randomized studies, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

Indications for pulse therapy are symptoms of damage to the brain stem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. The goal of treatment is to relieve acute symptoms, improve the condition and slow down the development of multiple sclerosis.

The decision to conduct pulse therapy at the Medicine 24/7 clinic is made on the basis of MRI data (with a contrast agent), in the presence of active foci of demyelination, the appearance of new foci, or the growth of old ones. MRI data must be confirmed by changes in the clinical picture of the disease.

As a result of pulse therapy for multiple sclerosis at the Medicine 24/7 clinic, a significant improvement in the condition is achieved - dizziness, unsteadiness of gait, numbness and weakness of the arms and legs disappear, and vision improves.

The development of the disease slows down, regression of symptoms and even achievement of remission is possible.

On the other hand, the use of loading doses of a corticosteroid may lead to side effects. Some of them are minor - insomnia, slight euphoria or anxiety, nausea, hiccups, headache, increased appetite. Others are more dangerous - cardiac arrhythmia, hyperglycemia, sudden fluctuations in blood pressure, bleeding.

Therefore, a course of pulse therapy for multiple sclerosis is best carried out in a hospital setting, where the patient is under constant medical supervision. This allows you to adjust the treatment course in time and eliminate side effects.

The Medicine 24/7 clinic has extensive experience in treating multiple sclerosis with loading doses of glucocorticoids, achieving maximum results with minimal side effects and timely correction of the patient’s condition.

Take care of yourself, book a consultation now

What body systems are affected by MS?

The age group for the manifestation of the disease is young people from 15 to 40 years old; MS occurs less frequently in childhood and old age. The development of the disease occurs gradually, the symptoms of multiple sclerosis appear in isolation, as a result of which the diagnosis is often made too late. Less commonly, the course of the disease is acute, with multiple lesions of the nervous system.

The optic nerve is one of the first to be affected in multiple sclerosis. The patient experiences blurred images, decreased visual acuity, transient blindness and scotoma (a dark spot in the visual field). When oculomotor neurons are damaged, diplopia (double image) and strabismus occur.

Among movement disorders, unstable central paresis predominates, with muscle hypertonicity, pathological reflexes and convulsions. Abdominal reflexes disappear, autonomic functions are disrupted, tremors and unsteadiness of walking occur, associated with damage to the cerebellum.

Loss of higher brain functions occurs in the terminal phase of the disease, provided there is no treatment for MS, emotional lability, depression and a decrease in intelligence to dementia are observed.

The most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis in women and men

The severity of manifestations of multiple sclerosis varies. Most people experience the following:

• Unusual sensations in different areas of the body. This may be numbness, unpleasant tingling (“like needles”), burning, itching. Similar signs occur in approximately 50% of patients.
• Bladder disorders. Occurs in approximately 80% of patients. Often has the urge to go to the toilet, including at night, and is bothered by the feeling as if the bladder is not completely emptied.
• Intestinal disorders. Manifests itself in the form of constipation.
• Walking disorder. The disease is often accompanied by weakness and muscle cramps, along with numbness in the legs, dizziness, and problems maintaining balance. This makes it difficult to walk.
• Dizziness.
• Constant fatigue. It is especially disturbing in the afternoon, even if the person had rested all day before. The patient may feel tired even after sleep. This manifests itself in the form of difficulty inhibited thinking, muscle weakness, and drowsiness. This condition occurs in approximately 80% of patients.
• Muscle spasms. Occur in approximately 40% of cases, usually affecting the leg muscles. Feelings range from tension, stiffness to painful spasms.
• Problems with thinking. About 50% of patients are bothered by symptoms such as slow thinking, memory impairment, and decreased concentration.
• Speech disorders. The patient may speak through his nose, slurred, and take long breaks between words.
• Swallowing disorders. Occurs in the later stages of the disease.
• Problems in the intimate sphere. Signs of multiple sclerosis in women may include vaginal dryness, and in men - weakening of erections.

Fortunately, many symptoms of multiple sclerosis have effective treatments and can be kept under control. To do this, you need to constantly be under the supervision of a neurologist and conscientiously follow all prescriptions and recommendations.

If symptoms from this list appear, especially if they continue for a long time, you should immediately contact an experienced neurologist. It may not be multiple sclerosis, but there is always a risk, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, it is better to start treatment immediately.

Causes of multiple sclerosis in men and women: factors that increase risks

There is no clear reason why some people develop the disease and others do not. However, there are some known risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis:

• Female. For unknown reasons, women get sick twice as often as men.
• Age. The first signs of the disease usually appear at the age of 15-60 years (most often at 20-40 years).
• Some infections. For example, it is known that the risks are increased by infectious mononucleosis, a disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
• Having sick relatives. You are at greater risk if one of your parents or siblings has already been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
• Ethnicity. The disease is most common among the indigenous people of Northern Europe. Asians, Africans and American Indians have the lowest risks.
• Some diseases. The risk is increased by certain thyroid diseases, inflammatory pathologies in the intestines, and type I diabetes.
• Smoking. Smokers develop MS more often than non-smokers.

If you or your relative experience the first suspicious symptoms, immediately contact an experienced neurologist.

Multiple sclerosis: causes of disease symptoms

Sometimes there are three groups of manifestations of multiple sclerosis, each of which is caused by certain reasons:

• Initial disorders are associated with damage by the immune system to the sheaths of nerve fibers. As a result, the passage of nerve impulses is disrupted, and corresponding neurological disorders occur.
• In turn, this leads to disruption of the functioning of internal organs and the development of secondary disorders. For example, if the bladder stops functioning normally, the risk of genitourinary tract infections increases.
• All this cannot but affect the quality of life, performance, and social adaptation of a person. The resulting disorders lead to psychological problems.

Treatment should target all of these causative factors in multiple sclerosis. It is necessary to keep the main symptoms of the disease under control, combat complications from internal organs and carry out rehabilitation treatment, and strive to ensure that the sick person lives as full a life as possible.

Since the causes of the disease in multiple sclerosis are not fully known, there are no effective methods of prevention. It is extremely important to notice the first symptoms in time and immediately consult a doctor. If you need a consultation with a neurologist, you can make an appointment with a specialist at the Medicine 24/7 modern neurology clinic around the clock. Just call.

Get a correspondence consultation with a neurologist

An appointment with a doctor begins with a conversation. The neurologist needs to figure out what symptoms bother the patient, when and how they arise, what provokes them, whether there are exacerbations, and how the condition changes over time. A neurological examination is then performed.

It is important that the neurologist carefully evaluates the patient’s condition and excludes all other possible diseases.

In a relapsing-remitting course, when the disease periodically goes through stages of exacerbation and improvement, the diagnosis is relatively easy to establish based on the clinical picture of multiple sclerosis and MRI data. If the patient is concerned about unusual symptoms or the disease is constantly progressing, other tests may be needed.

Prevention of exacerbations of the disease

Secondary prevention of multiple sclerosis is used to relieve exacerbations and prevent the appearance of new foci of demyelination. Patients need to avoid cold and hot irritants, contact with infectious pathogens, and limit physical activity.

Pregnancy and childbirth in MS provoke an exacerbation of the pathology, new foci of demyelination of fibers appear, and restrictions on the use of drugs appear. Rehabilitation for multiple sclerosis occurs under conditions of complete neurological unloading. Sanatoriums for patients provide long-term remission. Sanatorium-resort treatment is a good way to support patients even after severe manifestations of the disease.

Whether multiple sclerosis can be cured remains an open topic for medicine, and spontaneous cases of recovery are rare today. But proper treatment using all modern methods will help a person live a long life.

Upon learning of the diagnosis, patients are often overcome by panic, depression and reluctance to fight. This only aggravates the course of the disease, causing depression . People with multiple sclerosis are provided with psychological support in special assistance funds, helping to answer the question “how to accept your diagnosis and move on with your life.”

In our country there is an All-Russian public organization of disabled people with multiple sclerosis (OOOI-BRS). You can go there for help and communication with other patients to share experiences. Remember: multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence.

What studies and tests help diagnose multiple sclerosis?

For diagnostic purposes, the doctor may prescribe the following tests:

• Blood tests. Helps rule out other diseases. There are no specific substances that would indicate multiple sclerosis; scientists are currently busy developing such diagnostic tests.
• Spinal tap. Between two vertebrae in the lower back, a needle is inserted into the space around the spinal cord and a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid is obtained for analysis. It detects antibodies associated with MS, which also helps rule out other diseases.
• MRI. The test reveals damaged areas in the brain and spinal cord. MRI with contrast is sometimes used.
• Evoked potential method. During the study, a special device records electrical signals that arise in the nervous system in response to stimuli.

Under no circumstances should you engage in self-diagnosis. Visit a neurologist.

Is there a way to prevent multiple sclerosis?

Scientists do not fully know the causes of the disease, so there is no effective prevention of multiple sclerosis. But you can minimize the risks of many neurological, and not only, diseases if you lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well, treat any diseases and infections in a timely manner, stop smoking and minimize alcohol consumption.

If any disorders of the nervous system occur, it is better to immediately contact the neurological center and consult a doctor. If you need a consultation with a neurologist, make an appointment with a specialist right now by calling +7. We can also provide diagnostics.

The material was prepared by Natalya Yurievna, a neurologist at the Medicine 24/7 clinic, Candidate of Medical Sciences Lasch.

Why does the disease occur and who is at risk?

The causes of multiple sclerosis have not been precisely identified. Official medicine believes that the development of the disease occurs as a result of a combination of a number of factors. Several genes are simultaneously responsible for regulating immunity in the body. Scientific research in recent years has proven that among the causes of the disease, the first place is disturbances in the functioning of the immune system.

External causes of multiple sclerosis include:

• poor nutrition;
• frequent stress and anxiety;
• frequent diseases of bacterial and viral epidemiology;
• hereditary predisposition to disorders of self-regulation of immune processes;
• injuries and surgical interventions in the back and head;
• exposure to radiation and chemical toxins;
• poor ecological location.

Doctors list the causes of the disease as the HTLV-I virus (also known as HTLV-1 and erroneously referred to in many other articles as NTU-1), which triggers in the body an irreversible process of disintegration of the myelin structure of nerve fibers and inflammatory processes in brain tissue. The most common autoimmune theory is that therapy is based on the correction of disturbances in immunoregulatory processes.

External factors that increase the risk of multiple sclerosis include:

• consumption of large amounts of animal proteins and fats;
• obesity;
• taking oral contraceptives;
• excessive consumption of salt and processed foods;
• high sugar levels;
• lack of vitamin D.