How Do Doctors Diagnose Multiple Sclerosis? We Asked the Experts
occurs when a person’s immune system is triggered to attack the myelin sheath—a protective coating surrounding nerve cells in the central nervous system . The CNS is made up of the brain and spinal cord and acts as the control center of the body. Over time, repeated attacks on the myelin sheath and the nerve cells wrapped around it disrupt communication between the CNS and the rest of the body.
When diagnosed in time, multiple sclerosis is treatable. You can live a normal life with multiple sclerosis.., an autoimmune disorders expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says that neurologists are still wrestling with whether they have a cure for multiple sclerosis. There are many different therapeutic options, and he’s seen patients go decades with no evidence of any disease. “You can’t even tell they have multiple sclerosis,” he adds.
The earlier you get your diagnosis, the better. “The biggest we can have as physicians is to get people with [multiple sclerosis] started on treatment right after theiror right after they present with their first symptoms,” advises Lindsey. “The most effective ones we’ve seen have reduced the number of new symptoms by about two-thirds and make a big difference in long-term outcome and disability.”