Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis or MS is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells is damaged. This leads to slowing of nerve impulses. Inflammation along the brain, optic nerve or spinal cord leads to nerve damage.
Those who have a family history of MS are more susceptible to this condition. The symptoms appear in episodes that relapse after days or weeks or even months. The episodes might be triggered by stress or fever.
Symptoms of Multiple sclerosis appear all over the body as they affect nerve cells. There is numbness and loss of balance, tremors in arms or legs, muscle spasms and difficulty in walking. There is an overriding feeling of fatigue. Patients suffering from MS might have eye discomfort with double vision or loss of vision. There might be painful spasms in the facial muscles and stool or urine leakage. The person might experience depressive feelings, slurred speech and difficulty in swallowing.
MS is diagnosed through brain MRI and spinal MRI. Spinal tap of cerebrospinal fluid is done to check for Multiple sclerosis. Medications to reduce the degradation caused by MS include interferon, Methotrexate, azathioprine (Imuran), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). Speech therapy and occupational therapy helps the patients to a large extent.
Paroxysm
Paroxysm refers to sudden fit or outbursts. These paroxymal attacks are short and usually frequent. Paroxymal attacks are associated with pertussis, encephalitis, heat trauma, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. A paroxysm is most often triggered by anxiety, neck flexion and anger. Optic Neuritis
Optic neuritis is a condition where the optic nerve gets inflamed. Due to the inflammation, light and visual images are not clearly transmitted to the brain. Optic neuritis can be caused by autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis or viral infections such as chicken pox or measles. Optic neuritis is usually the first sign of multiple sclerosis. This condition tends to affect more women than men.
Patients suffering from optic neuritis notice reduced vision. This is more so when the body temperature is elevated. The eyes are sore and painful when moved. There is reduced color perception and diminished peripheral vision. Persons suffering from optic neuritis may have headache and fever. The vision diminishes for about a week and then gradual improvement is noticed. Typically most patients suffering from optic neuritis tend to recover most of their vision within about 6 months.
The opthalmologist will test the patient's color vision and visual field. Eye presure and pupillary function will be examined. The optic disc is viewed with indirect ophthalmoscopy. Brain MRI may be taken for testing for multiple sclerosis. Intravenous steroid medication has shown results on those suffering from initial occurence of optic neuritis.
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