Diagnosingmultiple sclerosis(MS) can be challenging.
MS develops when the immune system begins attacking the myelin sheath, the covering of nerve fibers.
Multiple sclerosis is anautoimmune disease.
Verywell / Laura Porter
In some cases, nerves can become permanently damaged.
There are four main types of MS, all of which have different symptoms and progression timelines.
Between flare-ups, you have periods of recovery, or remissions.
This bang out of MS is marked by relapses that last at least 24 hours.
During a relapse, symptoms get worse.
During a remission, symptoms partly or completely go away.
Other symptoms that can happen with RRMS includefatigue, sensitivity to heat, and depression.
Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS)
PPMScontinues to worsen over time.
There are no symptom flare-ups and no remissions.
How fast the disease progresses may vary.
People with PPMS have the same symptoms as those with CIS and RRMS.
In this jot down, symptoms accumulate and worsen without any remission.
There may be periods in which symptoms are stable.
Relapsing-remitting MS is the most common key in, affecting 85% of people with multiple sclerosis.
The same goes for vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
It can help determine the level of IgG antibodies, which are specialized proteins that bind to pathogens.
In people with MS, IgG levels are often excessively high compared to those in people without the disease.
Oligoclonal bands are also antibodies that can indicate the body is experiencing a long-lasting overreaction from the immune system.
A higher count of oligoclonal bands can help diagnose MS. That is why it is often used as a supplemental diagnostic tool.
Updates were made in 2017 that changed the way MS is diagnosed.
Disseminated in time means that there is damage on different dates.
The criteria take into account the number of lesions and flare-ups you have.
Getting diagnosed early is vital for planning treatment and your future.
A Word From Verywell
Being diagnosed with MS can be a confusing and difficult time.
There will be follow-up appointments to keep track of your disease.
In the majority of cases of MS, severe disability or death is rare.
The symptoms that occur with MS can be found in many other conditions.
According to research, as many as 20% of people aremisdiagnosed with MS.
Testing for MS involves a series of different strategies.
There are several tools used such as MRIs, spinal taps, blood tests, and evoked potentials tests.
Only then can a person be diagnosed with MS. You will also have to undergo sporadic monitoring tests to keep track of the progression of your disease.
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