You may feel overwhelmed and confused if your loved one has recently been diagnosed with late-onset multiple sclerosis. It may be difficult for you to know how to best care for your loved one or what to expect. We will explain everything you need to know about late-onset multiple sclerosis in this blog post. The symptoms, treatment options, and ways to help your loved one manage the disease will be discussed.
Multiple sclerosis occurs when the immune system attacks nerve cells as well as brain fibers. Therefore, your brain's electrical signals cannot be transmitted to your body as effectively as they should. As a result, your body will move and function differently. In most cases, MS symptoms appear between the ages of 20 and 40. Although it is possible to detect symptoms when you are 50 or older, you might not notice them until then. When multiple sclerosis develops later than expected, it is known as late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS).
A person's signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis may vary greatly from person to person and throughout the disease depending on where the affected nerve fibers are located. Movement is affected by some symptoms, such as:
There are many types of vision problems, including:
Multiple sclerosis symptoms may also include:
There are no specific tests for multiple sclerosis, which is why a differential diagnosis relies on ruling out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms and signs.
The following may be recommended by your doctor:
MS diagnosis can be more difficult when a person has unusual symptoms or a disease that is progressing. Further testing, including spinal fluid analysis, evoked potentials, and imaging, may be needed in these cases.
You can manage multiple sclerosis in many ways, even though there is no cure. Multiple sclerosis with late onset is treated in some ways, including:
As MS progresses, caregivers are often unable to keep up with the physical demands of the disease. If you are considering whether you can provide home care for an individual, you must know what questions to ask.
Families often improve when family members are no longer the primary caregivers for their children. As a result of having to be constantly available and do very physical work as a caregiver, people with MS can once again maintain a more normal family relationship without relying on family members for help.
Looking into caregiving services may be overwhelming, but with BrightStar Care of Pembroke Pines, we ensure to make the process so much easier for you. We are confident that our team of professionals will assist you in looking for the right caregiver to take care of your loved one by keeping you in the loop and more. You can always contact BrightStar Care of Pembroke Pines at 954-518-3420 or visit us at 7951 Riviera Blvd Suite 103 Miramar, FL 33023, and speak with one of our experts who will help you get started. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
Multiple sclerosis occurs when the immune system attacks nerve cells as well as brain fibers. Therefore, your brain's electrical signals cannot be transmitted to your body as effectively as they should. As a result, your body will move and function differently. In most cases, MS symptoms appear between the ages of 20 and 40. Although it is possible to detect symptoms when you are 50 or older, you might not notice them until then. When multiple sclerosis develops later than expected, it is known as late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS).
What are the Symptoms of MS?
A person's signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis may vary greatly from person to person and throughout the disease depending on where the affected nerve fibers are located. Movement is affected by some symptoms, such as:
- Weakness or numbness of the limbs, usually on one side of your body at a time, or your legs and trunk, usually on one side
- Certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward, may cause an electric shock sensation. A sign like this is called a Lhermitte sign.
- Symptoms include unsteady gait, tremors, and lack of coordination
There are many types of vision problems, including:
- Loss of vision usually occurs gradually, one eye at a time, and is accompanied by discomfort when moving the eyes
- Having a double vision that persists for a long time
- Blurry vision
Multiple sclerosis symptoms may also include:
- Slurred speech
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Tingling or pain in parts of your body
- Problems with sexual, bowel, and bladder function
How is MS Diagnosed?
There are no specific tests for multiple sclerosis, which is why a differential diagnosis relies on ruling out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms and signs.The following may be recommended by your doctor:
- Blood tests: MS-specific biomarker tests are currently being developed, and they may assist in the diagnosis of the disease if they detect other conditions with similar symptoms.
- Spinal tap (lumbar puncture): The procedure involves removing cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal canal for laboratory analysis. It is possible that a spinal tap could reveal abnormal antibodies associated with MS. A spinal tap can also rule out other conditions that show similar symptoms to MS, including infections.
- MRI: The results of this test may reveal areas of MS (lesions) in your brain or spinal cord. To highlight lesions that indicate your disease is in an active phase, you may receive an intravenous injection of contrast material.
- Evoked potential tests: In response to the stimuli presented to your nervous system, your nervous system produces electrical signals that are recorded by your brain. A test for evoked potentials can either be performed with visual stimuli or with electrical stimuli. These tests involve watching a moving visual pattern, or short electrical impulses are applied to nerves in your legs or arms so that they move. As the information travels through your nerve pathways, electrodes measure how fast it travels.
MS diagnosis can be more difficult when a person has unusual symptoms or a disease that is progressing. Further testing, including spinal fluid analysis, evoked potentials, and imaging, may be needed in these cases.
What are the treatment options for MS patients?
You can manage multiple sclerosis in many ways, even though there is no cure. Multiple sclerosis with late onset is treated in some ways, including:
- Medication. While several types of medications can be used to treat relapsing forms of MS, FDA-approved medications cannot be used to treat primary progressive MS. You may be able to manage your symptoms with the help of your doctor, which is good news.
- Managing relapses. Many therapies can help manage MS flare-ups, including corticosteroids, steroid hormones, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) gel, and plasma exchange.
- Rehabilitation. Physical, occupational, and cognitive therapy can help you manage the way MS changes your body over time. You can improve your mobility, limit fatigue, and improve your memory with these programs. If you have difficulty speaking or swallowing, speech-language pathology can help.
The Role of Caregivers
As MS progresses, caregivers are often unable to keep up with the physical demands of the disease. If you are considering whether you can provide home care for an individual, you must know what questions to ask.Families often improve when family members are no longer the primary caregivers for their children. As a result of having to be constantly available and do very physical work as a caregiver, people with MS can once again maintain a more normal family relationship without relying on family members for help.