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Illnesses

MS

How does MS affect people?

MS Society logoMS does different things to different people, so sometimes it takes doctors a long time to realise a person who is ill has MS.

Doctors can find out that someone has MS by

  • taking a little bit of fluid from their spinal cord to test it.  This is called a spinal tap.  It doesn’t harm them!
  • by lying them down in a machine call an “MRI scanner” that takes photos of their brain (a bit like an x-ray).
  • and by considering all the health problems they have had before.

Things that show a doctor that there is something wrong with a person’s health are called “symptoms”.

Some people have these symptoms:

  • Double or blurred vision.
  • Pain at the back of the eye.
  • Nerve pain in the face.
  • Ringing in the ears or hearing problems.
  • Tingling (’pins and needles’) or numbness.

Others have these symptoms:

  • Giddiness or loss of balance.
  • Difficulty with concentrating or forgetfulness.
  • Depression or mood swings.
  • Fatigue (especially in hot weather).
  • Weakness or difficulty in walking.
  • Problems with speech, bladder or bowel control.

MS symptoms come and go.


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