The symptoms of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) can vary dramatically. One patient may be hit suddenly like a sledge hammer. Another patient may experience a gradual onset of symptoms and a steady weakening of nerve function and communication. The disease generally occurs between the ages of 20 and 40, and there are a few different symptoms to note when studying the onset of MS.

What Happens

In the early stages of MS, a person may experience a few different symptoms. These symptoms include numbness, tingling, loss of balance, weakness in one or more limbs, and blurred or double vision. Symptoms that can also be experienced but are less common include slurred speech, lack of coordination, and the sudden onset of paralysis.

As the disease progresses, patients will begin to experience more debilitating symptoms depending on the rapidity of progression and the severity of their condition. These symptoms can include sensitivity to heat, fatigue, muscle spasms, and changes in perception or thinking impairment. Patients may also experience some sexual disturbances. Statistics reveal that as many as 10 percent of people with MS experience a form of thinking impairment. Approximately 55 percent of patients with the disease experience optic neuritis, a painful eye condition.

Patients may also experience tremors, which can be hard for doctors to treat effectively and which patients may find to be debilitating. Extremely rare symptoms of MS as the disease progresses can include breathing problems and seizures.

There are different types of symptoms, as well.

Primary Symptoms

These symptoms result directly from the demyelination process, including tremors, paralysis, loss of balance, and other symptoms.

Secondary Symptoms

Secondary symptoms, on the other hand, result from the primary symptoms. For example, a patient experiencing paralysis may spend a large amount of time immobile and may develop pressure sores (or bed sores), an example of a secondary symptom.

Tertiary Symptoms

These symptoms are the results of the primary and secondary symptoms, and they are also the result of having the disease itself. They include the social and psychological impact the disease has on its victim. One major tertiary symptom experienced is depression.