MS Living Well: Key Info from Multiple Sclerosis Experts

Yes, children can get multiple sclerosis. Children ages 12 and up are more typically affected and rarely before age 8. Awareness is essential for prompt diagnosis and treatment of pediatric-onset MS (POMS). Accurate diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in children requires screening for other conditions like MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). Risk factors associated with higher rates of developin...

Trying to confirm if you have multiple sclerosis can be a frustrating process. Dealing with a new diagnosis a MS can be overwhelming. Julian Gamboa and Dr. Jakai Nolan shed light on a positive path forward living with multiple sclerosis. Julian Gamboa shares his first symptoms of multiple sclerosis including spinning sensation and double vision. He had substantial obstacles and setbacks in being d...

Years before the first typical neurological symptoms of multiple sclerosis such as numbness or visual loss, individuals can have other symptoms that are often overlooked. This period of time is called the MS prodrome . During the prodrome phase, there is an increase in symptoms including skin, gastrointestinal and psychiatric issues. Research may lead to earlier detection of MS. Sometimes brain sp...

Knowing which MS changes are significant enough to warrant speaking up can be hard. Relapses can occur every 1-2 years without treatment, but much less frequently on disease-modifying treatment. Distinguishing between an actual relapse, a pseudorelapse or just brief worsening of symptoms (Uhthoff's phenomenon) explained. Options for relapses such as steroids, plasmapheresis and ACTH are reviewed....

With over 20 options, what is the best multiple sclerosis treatment for me? Selecting an appropriate disease-modifying therapy (DMT) needs to consider your risk of worsening disability over time. Your age, sex and race can affect your prognosis and can influence the power of treatment chosen. Details about your early relapses and MRI activity are very important for treatment decisions. Treatment s...

Digital technology has transformed our lives. For people living with multiple sclerosis, electronic health opens a new world. Biosensors in our smartphones and wearable devices can monitor physical activity levels and sleep and may detect MS disease changes faster than that next neurologist appointment. New apps can help people with MS manage and track their disease including gaming to assess cogn...

Multiple sclerosis frequently causes visual impairment. 70% of people living with the disease can develop optic neuritis at some point and often the first sign of MS. The symptoms, medical evaluation, treatment and prognosis of optic neuritis are conveyed. Besides multiple sclerosis, other causes are discussed including MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) and neuromyelitis (NMO). Double vision...

Rapid recent advancements have led to blood tests (biomarkers) to track multiple sclerosis disease activity. A biomarker is something that can be measured to check normal functioning or the impact of a disease. Blood biomarkers are common in medicine to measure response to therapy such as measuring hemoglobin A1c levels for diabetic control and cholesterol levels for high cholesterol treatment. In...

Our immune systems become less robust as we age. With an autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis, a weakened immune system can lead to less relapses and active MRI lesions. However, many people living with multiple sclerosis develop progressive disease with worsening physical and cognitive disability as they age. Strategies to live better with MS as one grows older are shared. The vast major...

Trying to figure out the ideal diet for multiple sclerosis?  Two of the leading experts on diet and multiple sclerosis share our current understanding based on the latest research. Diets reviewed include intermittent fasting, Swank diet, Wahls protocol and Mediterranean diet.  The role of the gut organisms, called the microbiome, on immune health explained. In-depth information highlights how cert...

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes multiple sclerosis based on a new monumental study in young adults serving on active duty in the US military. The study found that the risk of developing MS increased 32-fold after infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. EBV causes infectious mononucleosis, spreads through saliva and infects B immune cells.   Alberto Ascherio MD DrPH shares his group's recent fin...

Interested in improving MS care? Participating in a clinical trial may have personal advantages and help others in the future. Trial design discussed including whether or not a placebo (no treatment) will be used. Criteria needed to enroll in a clinical study called inclusion and exclusion criteria explained. Key elements of clinical trials outlined including multiple safety measures and informed...

Cutting-edge research is revolutionizing how multiple sclerosis is diagnosed and monitored. The central vein sign on MRI may soon be a key way of confirming if someone has multiple sclerosis versus other conditions such as migraine, vasculitis, neurosarcoidosis and blockage of small blood vessels (from age, smoking and hypertension). Early clues on MRI imaging are shared in people with evidence of...

Wellness is a proactive approach to living with multiple sclerosis. Wellness complements routine neurological care, which is often reactive to new relapses, symptoms and disease progression. Nutrition reviewed including diets such as intermittent fasting, paleo and Wahls Protocol. Great physical health relies on keeping up with routine cancer screenings and vaccinations. Options for protecting cog...

Struggling with anxiety or depression? Over half of people living with multiple sclerosis can experience depression and up to 40% have anxiety. Both psychological and physical symptoms that people with MS experience are explained. Causes for these mood disorders are discussed including immune inflammation in the brain, adaptation to having a chronic disease and medication side effects such as inte...

Progressive multiple sclerosis can be a worrisome diagnosis, filled with questions about one's personal future including independence. In this podcast, Mark Webb shares his personal story of transition to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis with incredible resiliency, brilliant humor and tenacious optimism. He explains how MS has affected his career from Euro Disney to Head of Communications...

People living with multiple sclerosis often experience chronic numbness, burning, tingling and pins-and-needles sensations. In a recent study, 70% of people with MS reported numbness and tingling, and 55% reported pain associated with relapses. MS neurologists explain typical symptoms for brain and spinal cord MS attacks compared to a pinched nerve in the back (like sciatica) or neuropathy. Lhermi...

At this recording, the COVID-19 pandemic is raging with nearly 100 million people affected and over 2.1 million dead.  Recently available COVID-19 vaccines are providing some much needed hope. Vaccinations have been extremely effective in saving people from fatal diseases but many people living with multiple sclerosis have questions about whether COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for them....

Being diagnosed and living with multiple sclerosis is often overwhelming. Your MS journey might be challenging, frustrating and depressing at times. On the bright side, superb MS care is available. This podcast lays out ways that you can take charge of MS and get the care you deserve. Topics include finding the right neurologist for you and how to get reliable MS information. Improve your communic...

Struggling with MS fatigue? You aren't alone. Approximately 90% of people living with multiple sclerosis deal with fatigue. An overwhelming sense of tiredness can be disruptive at work and take away from your family time and social life. This podcast dives into the different causes of MS fatigue, including disease impact on nervous system, medications and poor sleep. Approaches to improve both men...

Warning: ADULT CONTENT for 18 Years of age or older.  Sexual health is an important part of quality of life for many people. Multiple sclerosis can cause new challenges and disrupt sexual relationships. Positioning options, including pillows and slings, are reviewed that can help overcome weakness and stiffness of legs. Factors that can reduce a woman's libido, or sexual drive, are addressed such...

Trouble with your bladder? Most people with multiple sclerosis have bladder issues. Penelope shares her personal bladder challenges with urgency, trouble emptying her bladder and use of catheters. Rather than being embarrassed, Penelope gives advice on when to speak up to get needed medical care and how to cope (laughter helps). Dr. Travis Bullock explains what happens to the bladder in MS, treatm...

This podcast explores cognitive issues in multiple sclerosis. Caroline Craven aka The Girl With MS shares the impact of MS on her short-term memory, word-finding ability and multitasking skills. She talks about the role of stress, sleep and mood have on her cognition. Caroline reviews how she copes with these changes partially through diet, exercise and good sleep. Abbey Hughes PhD, a rehabilitati...

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, telemedicine has rapidly become the new standard for patients to communicate with their neurologists. Video conferences on smartphones, tablets, and laptops have… for now at least… replaced almost all appointments that used to be done in person. Dr. Stephen Krieger from New York City and Dr. Annette Okai from Dallas discuss their early insights to advantages...

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, neurologists from multiple sclerosis centers from Barcelona, Spain and Rome, Italy share their experiences on the front lines. These MS specialists share how they are supporting and advising patients during this crisis.  Barry Singer MD, Director of The MS Center for Innovations in Care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center interviews: Giovanna Borriello, MD, M...