Physicians need to rule out other possibilities such as stroke, neurosyphilis, spinocerevellar ataxias, diabetes, Sjogren's disease, a vitamin B-12 deficiency, and other infections before considering MS because there are no definitive tests for this disease.
Other symptoms of MS are:.
Bladder and bowel dysfunction.
Muscle stiffness.
Depression.
Dizziness .
Fatigue.
Headaches.
Unusual clumsiness, leg dragging, dead feeling limbs.
Itching.
Abnormal or choppy gait.
Speech and swallowing problems.
Tremor.
Visual loss .
Symptoms provoked by hyperthermia .
There are also some secondary symptoms of this disease that are complications that arise as a result of primary symptoms. One very common and discouraging secondary symptom is urinary tract infections, which occurs as a result of bladder dysfunction. Another symptom is disuse weakness due to lack of movement among the more serious cases. Inactivity is the cause for this, not the disease itself. Bedsores are another common predicament due to the inability to move on your own, although proper care can keep this from becoming a problem.
One more thing to consider is the tertiary symptoms, (psychological complications) which often occur with a chronic neurological illness such as MS. Patients are often unable to walk, drive or even move. Many patients with multiple sclerosis suffer from depression, which needs to be closely monitored. .
Methods of treatment .
The drugs used to treat MS has improved greatly over the years, unfortunately none will cure this debilitating disease. However, some drugs can reduce the number of flares and can speed the recovery of the flares. One drug called methylprednisolone, a synthetic adrenal steroid hormone, when given in high doses has powerful effects upon the immune system. This helps with inflammation, which is a great benefit in reducing flares and shortening the time of them. However this drugs frequency must be limited because of side effects and it has not been proven to retard the progression of disability.