Articles on Medical Diseases and Conditions

Entries Tagged ‘Multiple Sclerosis’

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease that has a reputation for recurrent illness of unpredictable length and severity. A multifocal demyelinating process in cerebral hemisphere white matter results in various combinations of weakness, ataxia, vision difficulties, and parasthesias, frequently ending in paralysis. Thus, the clinical symptoms, especially early in the disease, can be mimicked […]

Research: New lines of research

Genetic research Chapter 1 discusses the possible causal relationship between MS, genetics and the environment. The most striking thing now is the speed at which research on possible underlying genetic factors is being undertaken. Of course, this research is part of the massive international research effort which has now ‘mapped’ human genetic makeup – in […]

Childbirth

Miscarriage and relapse Women with Multiple Sclerosis run an increased risk of a relapse after a miscarriage as well as after delivery of a baby at the expected time. Miscarriage occurs quite commonly (about a third of all pregnancies miscarry), although many of these miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy that you may not realize […]

Pregnancy

Do discuss both your plans and any worries that you have with doctors, and other professional staff looking after you. Pregnancy and childbirth is a time for continuing support. You can receive good advice, and possibly information about sympathetic obstetricians, from the local branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society or other MS support groups. In the […]

Finances: Managing finances

Power of Attorney You may, at some point, feel the need for someone to take over your financial arrangements. If so, you will almost certainly need good legal advice, perhaps at first from Citizens Advice if you have not already got a good solicitor. Because this situations tends to happen when you get older, and […]

Finances: Healthcare finance

Prescriptions Unfortunately you are not entitled to free prescriptions just because you have Multiple Sclerosis – it is not yet included as one of the relatively few diseases or conditions for which free prescriptions are available. However, prescriptions are free if you are aged under 16 or in full-time education and aged under 19; if […]

Hearing problems

Multiple Sclerosis is not known to cause significant symptoms in hearing (although there can always be the occasional exception), even if a test called an ‘auditory evoked response’ reveals some damage to the relevant nervous pathways. Very, very occasionally some hearing loss may occur temporarily as a result of the MS but, if your hearing […]

Speech difficulties: Voice production

Voice production is a complicated process involving coordination between the relevant muscle groups, which in normal life (without Multiple Sclerosis or other condition af fecting voice production) we tend to take for granted. Speech problems are normally assessed by speech therapists – they need to know just where the problem lies for management: • Breathing: […]

Mobility and managing everyday life: Professional help

Although there has been an explosion of health and fitness clubs, which might be thought to help people with mobility or other similar difficulties, very few of them have staff who will be aware of Multiple Sclerosis and its effects on movement. So it’s a good idea to seek the help of members of the […]

Mobility and managing everyday life

Mobility or movement problems can be variable depending on the overall disease development, and on whether you are currently in the middle of an attack or in remission. The main aim is to maintain as much mobility as possible, in particular to avoid what might be called ‘secondary’ damage in the form of wasting (‘atrophied’) […]