brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Early symptoms of multiple sclerosis
Vague symptoms of demyelination in the brain sometimes begin long before the disorder is diagnosed. The most common early symptoms are the following: Tingling, numbness, pain, burning, and itching in the arms, legs, trunk, or face and sometimes a reduced sense of touch Loss of strength or dexterity in a leg or hand, which may become stiff Problems with vision Vision may become dim or blurred. Mainly, people lose the ability to see when looking straight ahead (central vision). Peripheral (side) vision is less affected. People with multiples sclerosis may also have the following vision problems: Internuclear Ophthalmoplegia : The nerve fibers that coordinate the eyes when they move horizontally (look from side to side) are damaged. One eye cannot turn inward, causing double vision when looking toward the side opposite the affected eye. The unaffected eye may move involuntarily, moving rapidly and repetitively in one direction, then slowly drifting back (a symptom called nystagmus). Optic Neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve): Vision may be partially lost in one eye, and pain occurs when the eye is moved. Walking and balance may be affected. Dizziness and Vertigo are common, as is fatigue. Excess heat—for example, warm weather, a hot bath or shower, or a fever—may temporarily make symptoms worse. When the back part of the spinal cord in the neck is affected, bending the neck forward may cause an electrical shock or a tingling sensation that shoots down the back, down both legs, down one arm, or down one side of the body (a response called Lhermitte sign). Usually, the sensation lasts only a moment and disappears when the neck is straightened. Often, it is felt as long as the neck remains bent forward. 