Multiple sclerosis prognosis

is a progressive and debilitating disease that attacks the neurological system at its central core. This means that both the brain and the spinal cord are attacked, leaving lesions that disintegrate the myelin sheath, or fatty tissue layer that protects the nerves. This means that the electrical impulses that originate from the brain, going through the spinal cord, and out to the persons nervous system are unable to be interpreted correctly by the muscles. As a result, individuals are left with symptoms such as muscle weakness, muscle tremors and visual impairment.

For the most part these symptoms are mild but they can progress to a point where they become life-threatening. The majority of individuals suffer from a form of multiple sclerosis which is progressive. Physical therapy and occupational therapy has helped individuals to accommodate to their living situations and individual abilities.

It is difficult to predict how multiple sclerosis will progress in any one individual. The progression of the disease is different for each individual and will vary even in the individual. For most people, they are able to walk and function at work for many years after diagnosis. Less than 5% of people will have a severe progressive form that can lead to death from complications within five years of diagnosis. At the other extreme only 10% will have a benign form, which means that the progression will be very slow or have no progression at all.

The most recent studies show that about seven out of 10 people with multiple sclerosis are still alive 25 years after diagnosis as compared to about nine out of 10 people of similar age without the disease. Fortunately, with advances in medication and treatment protocols, this disease shortens the lives of women who are affected by approximately 6 years and men by approximately 11 years.

One of the long-term effects of living with multiple sclerosis is depression. In some cases depression becomes so deep the individual becomes suicidal. This is a significant cause of death in people with multiple sclerosis, especially in their younger years.

Some factors that have been identified as being indicative of a benign disease include initial symptoms which are purely sensory or optic nerve neuritis, a long interval between the first two relapses, disease that begins before the age of 25, an MRI which shows very few lesions, a low number of affected neurological systems five years after diagnosis, a high degree of remission from the first diagnosis and the onset of symptoms in only one region in the body.

Some symptoms which appear to be indicative of a more malignant course of the disease include a greater number of neurological areas affected at the onset of diagnosis, many lesions showing on the initial MRI, progressive disease course at the onset, less than one year intervals between the first two relapses, motor symptoms at the onset, brainstem involvement at the beginning and coordination symptoms at the beginning.

Interestingly the presence of sensory symptoms in addition to motor and coordination symptoms at the beginning indicates a better prognosis than coordination or motor symptoms alone. For most people, the disease lies somewhere between benign and malignant. A person\’s disease diagnosis may have features that belong to both sets of indicators and for this reason make an accurate prognosis about the course of the disease next to impossible.

Healthcare practitioners are able to offer a more accurate prognosis and outlook for the future for individuals after the disease has been diagnosed and they have experienced the first few years. This offers the healthcare practitioner the ability to look at both indicators discussed above and the current progression of the disease. Most healthcare practitioners are not willing to give a definitive prognosis by most patients actually have a better feel for the prognosis of their disease because they know their bodies better than anyone else.

RESOURCES

University of Maryland medical Center: Multiple Sclerosis Prognosis

National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Prognosis

MayoClinic: Multiple Sclerosis

Utah University: Multiple Sclerosis Prognosis

International Review of Neurobiology: Prognostic Factors in Multiple Sclerosis

National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Treatments

MayoClinic: Multiple Sclerosis