Multiple sclerosis, a neurodegenerative autoimmune disease in which the fatty covering of nerves becomes increasingly damaged, can manifest itself in many ways.
This wide array of symptoms can lead people to ignore early attacks ? something that can cut them off from important early treatment, say doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
?MS is like a chameleon ? its signs and symptoms are so varied that it should be part of each clinician?s differential diagnosis,? says Dr. Anjali N. Shah, who leads MS neurorehabilitation at UT Southwestern?s Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Center.
Some common symptoms include: blurred or painful vision, numbness, tingling, burning in the arms or legs, fatigue, double vision, bowel or bladder dysfunction and cognitive deficits.
An estimated 350,000 people in the U.S. are currently diagnosed with MS. It is more common in women than men, appears more frequently in whites than in Hispanics or African Americans and is relatively rare among Asians and certain other groups.
March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.