Finding Help And Taking Help That’s Offered
People might say to you ‘If theres anything you need…’ or ‘If there’s anything I can do…’, but it is not always easy to ask for help, even when it is offered.
It can be useful to prepare a list of tasks that youd like help with. That way, if someone does offer to help, you can easily tell them how they could help.
If you find it hard to take, or ask for help, our fatigue management course could help you!
What Is The Role Of Exercise And Movement In The Treatment Of Ms
Exercise is a well-established pillar of a healthy lifestyle. It has the ability to prevent and treat a wide range of illnesses from cardiovascular disease to depression and from dementia to osteoarthritis. However, until recently, physicians often recommended that MS patients avoid exercise. The main concerns included exercise causing a rise in the body temperature that might trigger symptoms in heat-sensitive patients and exacerbate MS-related fatigue. The Uhthoff phenomenon describes a transient amblyopia that can occur with exercise or overheating. Fortunately, these symptoms are reversible and are not thought to be triggers of exacerbations. Also reassuring is that normal exercise does not significantly raise the core temperature.
Overall, exercise should now be recommended routinely for MS patients. Research has demonstrated improvements in disease-related fatigue, mobility, and quality of life. A 2005 Cochrane review supports the use of exercise in MS. A 2009 meta-analysis found an improvement in walking mobility in MS patients after a training program. A randomized trial in 2004 showed improvement in fatigue in MS patients with either yoga or general exercise classes.
Vitamins That Can Help Treat Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
Multiple sclerosis is a serious progressive disease that affects the central nervous system, leading to a multitude of symptoms that reduce quality of life and could eventually cause permanent damage and disability. There is no cure, but be that as it may, there are several treatment options available through traditional medicine.
Of course, more and more people are turning to natural and alternative treatments, including people with multiple sclerosis, since there are always complications with chemical therapies. For MS patients, there are some simple solutions that can help reduce symptoms and perhaps even prolong periods of remission found in over the counter vitamin supplements, as well as in their typical diets. Take a look at eight of the most highly recommended vitamins to treat MS symptoms.
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How Supplements May Affect Ms
MS is a demyelinating condition in which myelin, a type of fat that insulates and protects nerves, is diminished. This prevents nerves in the brain, spinal cord, and eyes from functioning as they should.
Demyelination in MS is thought to occur as a result of an autoimmune inflammatory process in which the body attacks its own myelin. This causes a variety of symptoms, such as weakness, sensory changes, and vision loss.
It isn’t completely clear how supplements may affect MS, but they are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect, a restorative effect on myelin, or both.
The three with the most scientific support for this use are biotin, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Is There A Role For A Whole Health Approach
Despite the advances in treatments for relapsing MS, the available therapies are far from perfect, and their ability to reduce disability long-term remains uncertain . MS has an unpredictable course and significantly impacts quality of life. Dealing with MS means not only dealing with a physical disease, but also coping with the mental and emotional burden. It can change how a person can interact with family, friends, co-workers, and their community.
The beauty of a Whole Health approach to treating MS is that it offers a framework for treating patients that takes into account the many diverse challenges the disease can present. Incorporating self-care strategies such as nutrition, exercise, and meditation allows patients to regain a sense of control in a disease that is difficult to control. In addition, it allows for an open conversation regarding the combination of evidence-based conventional treatments with beneficial complementary approaches.
Complementary therapies in MS are aimed at either modifying the disease course or managing MS-related symptoms. There are currently no complementary or alternative therapies with evidence of effectiveness in the treatment of acute attacks.
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I Have Read A Lot About Ms Diets Online Is There One Diet I Should Follow
Theres a quotation that I love by a nutrition writer, Michael Pollan. He sums up vast information of nutrition into these seven words:
Eat food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.
I inform my patients that there is no one diet that has been proven beneficial for MS. Diets that promote cutting back on saturated fats and enhancing polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, make the most sense. There is scientific rationale to support this diets anti-inflammatory effect, which is optimal in MS. Those that follow strict vegetarian diets may want to consider supplementing with fish oil or other omega-3 supplements.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis
Symptoms associated with MS vary considerably depending on the parts of the CNS affected and severity of myelin destruction. Common symptoms include:
- S1P receptor modulators
- Monoclonal antibodies
The efficacy of these drugs, in terms of reduction of annualized relapse rates, ranges from about 29% to 68%.
Treatment may also involve cognitive rehabilitation, physical and/or occupational therapy, and symptomatic therapy geared toward generally improving quality of life. Patients may also receive medication to combat specific symptoms of MS as needed.
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Diet And Lifestyle Considerations For Multiple Sclerosis
Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, are MS risk factors associated with worsened disability and quality of life in MS. Therefore, a lifestyle that promotes good cardiometabolic health is important for individuals with MS.47 Maintaining cardiometabolic health involves a number of lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction.
What Are The Types Of Ms And The Prognosis
At the time of diagnosis, 85% of patients have a relapsing-remitting course and 15% have a progressive course. Various subtypes of these major categories do exist. The disease can change types over time, and some patients with a relapsing-remitting course develop a progressive course, known as secondary progressive MS.
The major prognostic concern in MS is the degree of disability over time. For most individuals, life expectancy does not change. Good prognostic factors include infrequent exacerbations in the first year, predominant sensory symptoms, and good recovery from individual exacerbations. The number of attacks early in the disease course seems to affect long-term disability. This provides the theoretical basis for treatment with disease-modifying agents early in course of the disease. The treatments focus on decreasing attacks and slowing the accumulation of sclerotic lesions, with the hope of reducing long-term disability.
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Take Rest When You Need It
For some people, rest helps relieve fatigue and is an important part of fatigue management. Resting can prevent you getting to a point of complete exhaustion and coming to a sudden halt, mid task.
A few small breaks are best for some people or you might feel better after just one longer rest at a particular time.
For example:
- try taking a few short rests or power naps,
- through the day try just one longer rest,
- at the same time each day take a break between coming home from work and getting ready for an evening out
When you rest, try to make your rest as complete as possible. Doing smaller jobs around the house, talking to the family or watching TV might be more relaxing than work or chores, but it is not really resting. It can be tricky, but the aim should be to switch off both the mind and the body.
You might want to have a short sleep, or use relaxing music to help you clear your mind. Some people find yoga, mindfulness or meditation useful.
If worries disturb time set aside for rest, try writing down these concerns and ‘shelving’ them while you are resting. You will have more energy to tackle them once your energy levels are up again.
If resting helps you manage your fatigue, it is important that other people realise how valuable this quiet, undisturbed time is.
Above all don’t feel guilty about taking rest when you need it. If this is something you find challenging our online fatigue management course can help you think it through.
Is There An Ideal Ms Diet
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society suggests that people make positive and healthy changes to their diet that would be beneficial to their overall health. These include eating more whole foods and fruits and vegetables, as well as avoiding processed foods and added sugars. Some people with conditions like MS benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet.
Some tips for eating well include:
- Preparing your meals at home as often as you can
- Using colorful and fresh vegetables and fruits in your meals every day
- Eating whole grains as opposed to refined grains
- Avoiding processed foods and added sugars
When considering your intake of vitamins and minerals, there are specific foods that you can add to your diet that will help you get the proper amount of each every day. Foods that are high in each nutrient include:
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Talk With Others Who Understand
MyMSTeam is the social network for people with multiple sclerosis and their loved ones. On MyMSTeam, more than 190,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with multiple sclerosis.
Do you take vitamins or other supplements to help with MS? Have you discussed supplements with your doctor? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.
Are There Supplements That May Be Useful In The Prevention Of Attacks
Note: Please refer to the Passport to Whole Health, Chapter 15 on Dietary Supplements for more information about how to determine whether or not a specific supplement is appropriate for a given individual. Supplements are not regulated with the same degree of oversight as medications, and it is important that clinicians keep this in mind. Products vary greatly in terms of accuracy of labeling, presence of adulterants, and the legitimacy of claims made by the manufacturer.
The use of dietary supplements in MS can be an overwhelming topic. Supplement options may include those that are intended to modify the disease process, as well as those intended to treat specific MS-related symptoms. This section focuses on supplements with potential disease-modifying properties.
There are several challenges in determining appropriate supplements to use in MS. First, the potential options are numerous. Second, the majority of trials on supplements are small or based on experimental models of MS in animals. It is usually premature to draw definitive conclusions from these types of studies. Lastly, many supplements have theoretical effects on the immune system. Some experts in the field recommend avoiding anything that is potentially stimulating to the immune system. This issue is addressed in more detail below.
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Causes And Risk Factors
What does multiple sclerosis do to the body that causes the symptoms described above? As mentioned above, MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. Nerves are covered by tissue that acts like insulation, much like the coating used to protect electric wires. The covering of nerves is needed to help conduct nerve impulses and therefore many bodily functions, such as muscle coordination and control over emotions.
The kind of nerve damage that is associated with MS is caused by factors including autoimmune responses, dysbiotic gut microbiota, and increased inflammation. In other words, MS is believed to be caused by the bodys own immune cells attacking the nervous system. This damage can happen anywhere in the brain or spinal cord.
Although no specific causes of MS are known, some possible causes include:
Other risk factors for multiple sclerosis include:
- Being between the ages of 2040. Of the 400,000 people living in the U.S. that have MS, the majority are believed to be young adults under 40.
- Being a woman.
- Smoking cigarettes.
- Childhood obesity. Some research shows that those with a high body mass index before age 20 may be twice as likely to develop MS as those within a normal weight range.
- Vitamin D deficiency during the first 15 years of life.
Some of the most common causes of a flare in MS symptoms include:
What Does Vitamin D Have To Do With Ms
While supplements may be a sensible addition, they are not a substitute for your current MS therapies. In addition, they can potentially pose a danger of toxicity and interact with MS disease-modifying treatments or your other medications.
Given this, it’s important to speak to your healthcare provider if you are interested in incorporating supplements into your care plan.
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Tip : Limit Certain Drinks
Certain behaviors may seem to help with fatigue, but in the end, they may cause more problems than they solve.
Drinking a hot beverage may sound like a good way to wind down if youre having trouble sleeping, but coffee and tea typically contain caffeine.
Be sure to check whether your drink contains caffeine. It can prevent you from falling asleep, leading to fatigue the next day.
Similarly, while alcohol may help you feel sleepy after you first drink it, it can make it harder to get a restful nights sleep later.
Consider behaviors that may be contributing to poor sleep habits and fatigue and try to take steps to adjust them.
Types Of Multiple Sclerosis
There are three main types of MS that are characterized by the course of disease:
While MS itself is generally not fatal, complications of advanced disease can be. Loss of brainstem function can lead to respiratory failure and disability can significantly reduce activity levels, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease, pneumonia, sepsis, and uremia.22 As a result, the life expectancy for people with MS is about 7 years less than people without MS .2,23
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What Is The Role Of Nutrition In Ms
In the search for causes and triggers for MS, numerous dietary factors have been implicated over time. Among these include dietary fat, sugar, alcohol, dairy, and gluten. Most of these associations have since been refuted, although controversy remains regarding the overall influence of diet on the development and progression of MS. Several different dietary interventions have emerged, largely based on these associations.
Study Population And Data Collection
The patients affected with MS referring to the pharmacy concerned were invited to participate in this study. After scrutinizing their prescriptions, additional questions were further raised to ensure that the patients had been diagnosed with MS. To be included in the study, the cases needed to be older than 18years and at least 6 months of MS diagnosis. Written informed consent was also given to the patients before their inclusion, and they were allowed to withdraw from the study whenever they desired. The sample size was calculated using Cochrans formula. According to the statistics released by the Iranian MS Society, the number of patients with MS in Iran was 68,192 cases. In this formula, the confidence interval of 1.96 Z-score was 95%, and the p-value, as the ratio of the attribute in the society, was equal to 0.5. Besides, the margin of error in this study was 0.05. The sample size was further estimated to be 382 individuals.
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How Is Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosed
Making the diagnosis of MS remains a challenge, due to the variability in symptoms and the unpredictable disease course. The basic requirement for diagnosis is the involvement of multiple areas of the CNS at multiple points in time. The patients symptoms, exam findings, and MRI scans are used to make the diagnosis. MRI has made it possible to make an earlier diagnosis, and now some patients can be diagnosed after one clinical attack . The advantage of an earlier diagnosis is that patients may qualify for disease-modifying treatments at earlier stages. The most recent guidelines for the diagnosis of MS are known as the McDonald criteria. Despite these guidelines, making a definitive diagnosis based on the symptoms and MRI findings remains difficult. A physician experienced in treating MS should be involved in making the diagnosis.
Physical And Occupational Therapy
Physical and occupational therapy can help people with MS manage the severity and effects of the physical symptoms of their disease, both during relapses and periods of remission.234,235 A review of 32 studies involving patients with MS oramyotrophic lateral sclerosis , a neurodegenerative disease with some similarities, found participation in occupational therapy was associated with significant improvements in levels of fatigue, manual dexterity, and cognitive function, including memory and communication reduced the risk for falls and depression and was associated with improved quality of life.236 Research also suggests physical therapy can help reduce muscle spasticity and improve muscle tone in people with MS.237
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How Is Fatigue Related To Multiple Sclerosis
Fatigue is the most common symptom of multiple sclerosis . It occurs in 75 percent to 95 percent of patients with MS. Fatigue can occur at all stages of the disease. The symptom is not related to the severity or to the duration of MS. At times, fatigue interferes with function and is an important symptom to manage. There are a variety of ways to combat fatigue in MS.
