Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

A Complete Guide To Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that affects the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. The immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of the nerve fibers known as myelin. The myelin loss becomes scar tissue which is known as multiple sclerosis.

This slows down the transfer of nerve signals from the brain or spinal cord to the rest of the body, and the person experiences walking issues, vision problems, difficulty thinking and more.

It is anticipated that 1.8 million people worldwide have multiple sclerosis disease. The disease is commonly seen in young adults and females. The symptoms can be mild to severe, depending upon the nerve fiber damage.

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

The immune system protects your body from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses, and thus, you have fewer chances of various diseases and infections. But sometimes your immune system is triggered, and it attacks your central nervous system, which is otherwise called multiple sclerosis.

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. It controls various body functions like movement, thinking, speech and many more.

Your central nervous system is made up of neurons whose main work is to send electrical messages from the brain to the rest of your body. The neuron is made from various components like axons, dendrites and cell bodies. 

The axon is the tube-like structure that carries impulses from the cell body to another neuron. It is covered by an insulating sheath known as myelin. 

Myelin protects the axon just like insulation protects the electrical wire. The work of the myelin is to transfer the impulses faster to another neuron. When you suffer from multiple sclerosis, the immune system damages the myelin sheath of the neuron. It further causes damage to the axons. The damaged areas of the myelin form scar tissue, which is known as sclerosis. The nerve signals start to transfer very slowly from the nerve cell to the rest of the body.

It mainly affects the following areas like

• Brain stem
• Cerebellum
• Optic nerves
• Spinal cord
• White areas in the brain

You will have walking and cognitive difficulties. Unfortunately, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help to reduce its symptoms and hinder the progression of the disease.

Types Of Multiple Sclerosis

1. Clinically Isolated Syndrome

It refers to a single or first episode of multiple sclerosis symptoms and that last for hardly 24 hours. If the next episode occurs within a gap of one month, then the doctor classifies it as relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

2. Relapse Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Eighty-five percent of people suffering from multiple sclerosis are diagnosed with relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis. The symptoms are repeated, or they get worse with time. The patient may have partial to complete recovery in between the attacks.

3. Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis get worse with time without any period of relapses or remissions.

4. Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Patients suffering from relapse remitting multiple sclerosis progresses into this secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. The symptoms get worse with time.

What Are The Causes Of Multiple Sclerosis?

The exact cause of multiple sclerosis is not known. However, there are some possible causes of having multiple sclerosis, which are listed below.

• Genetic Factors
• Environmental factors
• Infectious agents like virus
• Autoimmune disease

Risk Factors Of Multiple Sclerosis

1. Age

You can have multiple sclerosis at any age. But it occurs most probably in between 20 to 40 years old.

2. Sex

Women are more likely to have multiple sclerosis compared to men.

3. Family History

If any of your family members is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, then you have a high chance of developing this disease.

4. Obese

People who are obese since childhood have a high chance of having this disease.

5. Vitamin D

If you have low vitamin D levels or you are exposed less to sunlight, then you have a chance of having multiple sclerosis.

6. Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Your body uses vitamin B12 to produce myelin sheath, which is the protective covering of the neurons. If your body has vitamin B12 deficiency, then you are most likely to develop neurological disorders.

7. Smoking

People who smoke a lot are more likely to have multiple sclerosis.

8. Infections

If you are exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus, it can cause mononucleosis.

9. Certain Autoimmune Disease

If you have some autoimmune disease like thyroid, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease, then you have a high chance to have multiple sclerosis.

Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis can vary depending on the affected nervous system area. The symptoms can be short-term, long term or can be extremely severe.

Below, we list some of the common symptoms seen in multiple sclerosis patients.

• Blurr vision
• Vision loss is caused by swelling of the optic nerve.
• Find difficulties in walking or balance
• Prickling
• Numbness
• Speech problems
• Dizziness
• Hearing problems
• Bowel and bladder problems
• Loss of feeling
• Depression
• Sexual function change

Again, some of the multiple sclerosis patients have cognitive problems, as listed below.

• Focus
• Attention
• Memory
• Judgment

How Can You Diagnose Multiple Sclerosis?

There is no specific test to diagnose multiple sclerosis. However, the doctor will do physical tests and a neurological exam and ask about your complete medical history to diagnose multiple sclerosis. The neurological exam outlines the following.

• Mental and emotions
• Vision and balance
• Movement and coordination
• Functioning of 5 senses.

Again, two things must be true for diagnosing relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

• One area of the central nervous system will be damaged.
• The symptoms of multiple sclerosis are observed within a gap of one month or severity of symptoms seen for a minimum of 24 hours.

Your doctor may do the following.

• Your doctor will do an MRI(combination of large magnets and computer) of both the brain and spinal cord to view the scarring caused by multiple sclerosis.
• Evoked potential test for recording the brain's electrical activity in response to vision or sensory stimuli.
• Your doctor may perform a cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The fluid is taken from the spinal column to check for chemical abnormalities or changes in antibodies linked to multiple sclerosis.
• Blood tests
• A person suffering from multiple sclerosis usually has optical neuritis, a condition in which the retina changes. Optical coherence tomography can detect retina thickness or retinal nerve fiber damage.
• Neuropsychological testing involves examining your thinking, memory and social skills. This test is quite important for multiple sclerosis patients. This is seen in most patients who have cognitive impairment, which means they have problems with thinking or language, which affects their daily activities.

Your doctor may do some additional testing if you have unusual symptoms or if the symptoms of multiple sclerosis are worsening with time.

Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis

Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure for multiple sclerosis. However, the treatment can reduce the symptoms and relapses.

Are you suffering from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis? If yes, then the doctor will advise either oral or injection and infusion medicine.

Injected Medicine

1. Interferon Beta Medicines

The doctor injects these medicines into the skin or muscle, and they decrease nerve damage and relapses.

Unfortunately, these injected medicines have certain side effects, and you may have reactions on the injection site. Your liver can get damaged, and hence, you need to test it again and again.

2. Glatiramer Acetate

Your immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin, and thus, you suffer from multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate will hinder the immune system from attacking the myelin. But you can have reactions at the injection site, such as swelling.

Oral Treatments

1. Teriflunomide

Teriflunomide can reduce the number of relapses associated with multiple sclerosis. But it has certain side effects like liver damage and birth defects. Patients who want to become pregnant in the future and take this medicine should speak to a doctor about it.

2. Dimethyl fumarate

This medication can also reduce the relapses number but has certain side effects like nausea, headache and low WBC count. You also have to do blood tests on a regular basis while taking this oral medicine.

3. Fingolimod

It reduces the relapse rate of multiple sclerosis. But it has certain side effects like headache, blurred vision and high blood pressure. The medicine is even harmful to the developing baby. Fingolimod can slow down your heart rate.

Infusion Treatments

1. Natalizumab

Natalizumab blocks damaging immune cells from entering the brain or spinal cord. However, it increases the risk of a brain infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

2. Ocrelizumab

This can treat both relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and the primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis.

Manage Symptoms During Flare

If a patient experiences a sudden worsening of multiple sclerosis symptoms, corticosteroids can be given. They suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation in the neurons. But don't use them for a long time, as they can have adverse effects on your body.

Other approaches can decrease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. We are listing them below.

• If you have mobility problems, your doctor may recommend certain physical therapies or using a crane to improve your mobility.
• If you are experiencing vision issues, your doctor may recommend resting your eyes and limiting screen time as much as possible.
• You can use an assistive device or use weight on your limbs to reduce tremors.
• Your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants for painful spasms or pain relief medicine to reduce body pain.

Complimentary And Alternative Therapies

• Acupuncture
• Heat and massage treatment
• Stress can trigger multiple sclerosis symptoms. Manage stress as much as possible by doing yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises.
• Regular exercise can combat mild to moderate multiple sclerosis.
• Take plenty of rest each day. If you are dealing with sleeping problems, consult your doctor.
• Eating healthy food like fresh fruits and vegetables
• Quitting smoking

Rehabilitation And Physical Therapy

Rehabilitation can improve your performance ability both at home and work. The programs include the following.

• Cognitive rehabilitation to improve thinking and memory
• Speech and swallowing therapy to improve your speech and eating habits.
• Physical therapy to improve movement

Plasma Exchange 

During this procedure, your blood is withdrawn, and plasma is replaced with a new one. The blood is then transfused back into the body.

The procedure will remove antibodies in your blood that are responsible for attacking your body. However, research is ongoing, and it's not clear whether it will help multiple sclerosis patients.

Stem Cell Therapy

It will regenerate body cells that have been damaged due to health problems.

How can medical tourism help treat multiple sclerosis?

Healthcare treatment costs are increasing every year. However, there are certain countries where multiple sclerosis treatment costs are quite high, which many patients cannot afford. 

The patient even has to wait for a longer time to get effective treatment. This worsens the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Well, in such cases, medical tourism destinations like India are an excellent option. Here, you will find reputed hospitals with highly skilled and experienced Neurologists.

Racure Healthcare is one of the best medical tourism companies in India. The Company will appoint a personal care executive who will stay with you right from the arrival of the treatment.

 The Company even arranges a video consultation with the doctor where you can discuss the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Racure Healthcare even books flights and arranges accommodation so that you can travel to the destination without any hassle. Contact the Company today to learn more about its services.

Conclusion

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease in which the immune system damages the myelin sheath of the nerve cells. Hence, the nerve fibers get damaged, and the nerve signal transfer slows down. It adversely affects your thinking abilities, movement, learning, vision, and many more. 

The symptoms can get worse without any notice. It can affect your daily activities badly. You can get injured if you lose balance. A skilled and experienced neurologist and his team can help manage symptoms, and you can return to your work or do daily activities confidently.

However, the cost can be an issue while treating multiple sclerosis in some countries. Well, in such cases, medical tourism can be a great option.

You can contact Racure Healthcare to manage symptoms of multiple sclerosis at an affordable cost.