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Have you ever been asked 'what is it like to have MS?'
Try the MS Simulator on Schering's ms-gateway.
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Subscribe to MS in focus for information on symptoms, treatments, rehabilitation, lifestyle, and the work of MS Societies worldwide.
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Multiple sclerosis is a very variable condition and the symptoms depend on which areas of the central nervous system have been affected. There is no set pattern to MS and everyone with MS has a different set of symptoms, which vary from time to time and can change in severity and duration, even in the same person.
There is no typical MS. Most people with MS will experience more than one symptom, and though there are symptoms common to many people, no person would have all of them. Common symptoms include:
Visual problems
- blurring of vision
- double vision (diplopia)
- optic neuritis
- involuntary rapid eye movement
- (rarely) total loss of sight
Balance & co-ordination problems
- loss of balance
- tremor
- unstable walking (ataxia)
- giddiness (vertigo)
- clumsiness of a limb
- lack of co-ordination
- weakness: this can particularly affect the legs and walking
Spasticity
- altered muscle tone can and muscle stiffness can affect mobility and walking
- spasms
Altered sensation
- tingling
- ‘pins and needles’
- numbness (paraesthesia)
- burning sensations
Pain 
- muscle pains
- facial pain (such as trigeminal neuralgia)
- stabbing sharp pains
- burning tingling pain
Abnormal speech
- slowing of speech
- slurring of words
- changes in rhythm of speech
- difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia)
Fatigue
- A debilitating kind of general fatigue which is unpredictable or out of proportion to the activity. Fatigue is one of the most common (and one of the most troubling) symptoms of MS.
Bladder & bowel problems
- Bladder problems include the need to pass water frequently and/or urgently, incomplete emptying or emptying at inappropriate times.
- Bowel problems include constipation and, infrequently, loss of bowel control.
Sexuality & intimacy
- impotence
- diminished arousal
- loss of sensation
Sensitivity to heat
- this symptom very commonly causes a transient worsening of symptoms
Cognitive & emotional disturbances
- loss of short term memory
- loss of concentration, judgment or reasoning
Whilst some of these symptoms are immediately obvious, others such as fatigue, altered sensation, memory and concentration problems are often hidden symptoms. These can be difficult to describe to others and sometimes family and carers do not appreciate the effects these have on the person with MS and on employment, social activities and quality of life.
 
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