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8 Ways to Live Better With MS
Managing your life with MS isn't just about dealing with the symptoms you have right now. It's about thinking through what could happen in future -- the possible effects on your job, family, and finances -- and preparing for them.Even if your symptoms are mild, planning can make you feel better and be more confident in your future."It's not bad luck to think about what you might do if your symptoms got worse," says Rosalind Kalb, PhD, a clinical psychologist and vice president of clinical care...
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- Affect your muscles and your ability to move your body
- Attack your brain and spinal cord
- Have “sclerosis” in their name
- Cause scarring or hardening around nerve cells
They have some key differences, though. MS is an autoimmune disease that causes your body to attack itself. ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a nervous system disorder that wears away nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord. Both are treated differently.
The Diseases and Your Nerve Cells
"Sclerosis” comes the Greek word for “scar.” Both ALS and MS cause scarring of the covering of nerve fibers. But the process of how that happens is different for each.
Nerve cells in your body are wrapped in thin coverings called myelin sheaths. They protect these cells, similar to how insulation protects electrical wires.
When you have MS, your body attacks the myelin sheaths in your brain and spinal cord.
When myelin sheaths are damaged, signals from your brain to other parts of your body get short-circuited.
ALS breaks down the actual nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord. These cells, called motor neurons, are in charge of the voluntary muscles in your arms, legs, and face.
You lose control of your motor functions, and as the motor neurons break down, the myelin sheaths harden.
Symptoms and Outlook
In its early stages, some of the symptoms of ALS can be similar to those of MS. These include:
- Stiff, weak muscles
- Twitching or spasms
- Fatigue
- Trouble walking
If you’re having these symptoms, don’t try to guess what's going on. See a doctor and get a diagnosis.
As ALS attacks the nerves that deal with movement, your symptoms will get worse.
In the later stages of the disease, you can have:
- Slurred speech
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble breathing
- Trouble swallowing
- An inability to move (paralysis)
Most people with ALS live 5 years or less after their diagnosis, but some live much longer. Research is underway to find treatments to extend and improve the quality of life.
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