Signs & Symptoms

There is no single test for diagnosis of MS and other possible explanations for the symptoms are first eliminated. For a patient to be told they have MS, neurologists consider they need to find evidence that there are at least two sites damaged in the nervous system (two is the minimum number to be 'multiple'). The signs and symptoms of MS depend upon which nerves are affected. Different nerves control different functions and sensations in the body hence people can experience a variety of symptoms some of which come on suddenly, others appearing gradually.

These symptoms may include blurred or double vision, strange sensations in and difficulty controlling and moving arms and legs, weakness, fatigue, 'pins and needles', impaired balance and bladder problems. There are numerous symptoms and anyone with MS may experience a few or many of them - and no two people will have precisely the same spread and severity of symptoms. Similarly, people with MS may experience a variety of symptoms at different times and to varying levels of severity.

The appearance of symptoms is, understandably, alarming. Almost as bad is the uncertainty of how they may develop or what may happen - and the feeling that the whole future of both patients and their dependants is suddenly under threat. Symptoms in MS can appear or become more pronounced when the MS is active and may lessen or disappear when it is quiet. Often symptoms can feel - and may be - worse when a person is tired, under stress (upset, worried, anxious), or suffering from some common and totally unrelated condition such as a bad cold or influenza, an infection, or injury. These fluctuations do not necessarily mean that the MS is getting worse; only that everyone has good days and bad days, and that the influence of other, unrelated, conditions is real and should not be ignored.