Is It MS or Something Else?
Is It MS or Something Else?
About 80% of people with MS feel very tired, making it one of the most common symptoms. But a number of things can make you feel exhausted, including a sleep disorder, depression, or too little iron in your blood.
MS fatigue tends to be worse than run-of-the-mill sluggishness. You may not have the energy to do even simple things, like cook dinner or take the dog for a walk. Other signs include:
Don’t have these signs? To ease your fatigue, make sure you get enough sleep, exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, and keep your stress in check. Talk to your doctor if you just can’t seem to feel rested.
Lifting that 10-pound dumbbell was part of your usual workout routine, but now it feels impossible. What gives? Sudden weakness, especially in an arm or leg, is a MS symptom.
If you feel weak all over, odds are there’s another problem at play. You may be fighting off a cold or the flu. Or you may have too few red blood cells in your body, a condition called anemia.
Weakness on just one side of the body can be from something mild like a pinched nerve or a serious problem like a stroke. If it happens along with other symptoms, like a drooping face or slurred speech, call 911 right away.
You’re reading a book and suddenly you see two of the same line or the page becomes a gray jumble. Vision problems caused by MS usually come on suddenly. They include:
If your sight is slowly getting worse, there’s most likely another issue to blame. Some blurriness is a normal part of aging -- you may just need a new pair of glasses. A more serious issue, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, can also lead to vision problems like blind spots. To rule out these diseases, have a checkup with your eye doctor.
Could I Have MS?
In this article
- Numbness or Tingling
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Blurred or Loss of Vision
- Slurred Speech
- Pain
- When to See Your Doctor
Fatigue
About 80% of people with MS feel very tired, making it one of the most common symptoms. But a number of things can make you feel exhausted, including a sleep disorder, depression, or too little iron in your blood.
MS fatigue tends to be worse than run-of-the-mill sluggishness. You may not have the energy to do even simple things, like cook dinner or take the dog for a walk. Other signs include:
- You feel wiped out every day.
- You’re tired in the morning, even after a good night’s sleep, and it gets worse as the day goes on.
- You feel fatigued easily and suddenly.
- It gets worse in heat and humidity.
Don’t have these signs? To ease your fatigue, make sure you get enough sleep, exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, and keep your stress in check. Talk to your doctor if you just can’t seem to feel rested.
Weakness
Lifting that 10-pound dumbbell was part of your usual workout routine, but now it feels impossible. What gives? Sudden weakness, especially in an arm or leg, is a MS symptom.
If you feel weak all over, odds are there’s another problem at play. You may be fighting off a cold or the flu. Or you may have too few red blood cells in your body, a condition called anemia.
Weakness on just one side of the body can be from something mild like a pinched nerve or a serious problem like a stroke. If it happens along with other symptoms, like a drooping face or slurred speech, call 911 right away.
Blurred or Loss of Vision
You’re reading a book and suddenly you see two of the same line or the page becomes a gray jumble. Vision problems caused by MS usually come on suddenly. They include:
- Blurry, gray, or double vision
- Blindness or a dark spot in one eye
- Eye movements you can’t control
If your sight is slowly getting worse, there’s most likely another issue to blame. Some blurriness is a normal part of aging -- you may just need a new pair of glasses. A more serious issue, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, can also lead to vision problems like blind spots. To rule out these diseases, have a checkup with your eye doctor.
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