A study has discovered that people with MS often experience constipation, urinary tract infections, bladder infections, depression, and sexual dysfunction years before their diagnosis
A new study has highlighted that individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) often suffer from a variety of health issues like constipation, urinary tract infections, bladder infections, depression, and sexual dysfunction years before they are actually diagnosed, suggesting these could be early indicators of the disease.
Dr Celine Louapre, from Sorbonne University in Paris, said: “Of course, not everyone who has these symptoms will go on to develop MS.”
The research, which was published in the medical journal Neurology, points out that while these symptoms are ‘common’ and may point to different conditions, they might also be early warnings of undetected multiple sclerosis. MS is a neurological condition affecting the nervous system caused by the immune system wrongly attacking the body’s nerves.
Specifically, in MS, the immune system, which usually protects against infections, erroneously targets myelin – the substance coating nerve fibres in the central nervous system that helps facilitate communication between the brain and other body parts. For people with MS, this leads to the degradation of the myelin, stripping it away from nerve fibres and creating scars or lesions known as plaques.
As a result, the messaging along the nerve fibres becomes impaired, causing delays, distortions, or even complete interruption of signals, reports Surrey Live.
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According to the MS Society, more than 130,000 people in the UK are living with MS. Most commonly, individuals in the UK are diagnosed with MS in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. However, the initial signs of MS often appear much earlier. Many individuals report experiencing their first symptoms years prior to receiving a formal diagnosis.
Dr Louapre suggests that this new information could be beneficial for those at high risk of developing MS. The research team analysed data from 20,000 newly diagnosed MS patients in the UK and France.
The findings revealed that MS patients were 22 per cent more likely to experience depression in the five years preceding their confirmed diagnosis, compared to those without MS. Patients were also 50 per cent more likely to suffer from constipation, while the risks of UTIs (38 per cent), sexual problems (37 per cent) and bladder infections (21 per cent) were also elevated.
Individuals diagnosed with MS were compared to those without MS, as well as individuals diagnosed with two other autoimmune diseases, Crohn’s disease and lupus.
The NHS said: There are lots of possible symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Everyone with the condition is affected differently.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
Call 999 or go to AandE if you have sudden:.
These could be signs of a stroke and need urgent medical attention.
For more information visit the NHS site here.