7 Early Warning Signs of Multiple Sclerosis You Shouldn't Ignore

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the central nervous system, interfering with the signals that travel between your brain and the rest of your body. While there’s no cure for MS, early intervention can slow disease progression and reduce future flare-ups. 

The problem: Early signs of multiple sclerosis are often subtle and intermittent, making them easy to dismiss or to attribute to something else, like aging or stress.

Our team of neurologists at Advanced Medical Care specializes in diagnosing and managing MS. In this post, we review some of the early signs to watch out for, so you can schedule an evaluation as promptly as possible.

1. Vision changes

Vision problems are one of the most common early signs of MS. Symptoms can vary from one person to another and can include blurry vision, double vision, faded colors, or eye pain, especially when moving your eyes from side to side.

Because aging can also cause vision changes, it’s all too easy to write off mild changes as just part of getting older. Even temporary vision changes can still be a sign of MS, especially in its early stages.

2. Numbness or tingling

Numbness or unexplained pins-and-needles sensation in your face, arms, legs, or body is another common early symptom of MS. The numbness can occur alongside tingling or on its own. 

You’ve had a hand or foot fall asleep once in a while. But numbness or tingling that develops for no obvious reason, lasts longer than expected, or keeps coming back is a symptom you shouldn't ignore.

3. Muscle weakness

In MS, muscle weakness happens when your immune system attacks nerve pathways that control muscle activity, interfering with muscle response time and making it more difficult for muscles to contract and relax the way they’re supposed to. 

While you might associate muscle weakness with major movements like walking or climbing stairs, MS can affect fine motor control, too, making activities like buttoning a shirt or writing especially challenging.

4. Balance problems

Balance changes or feelings of unsteadiness also tend to happen more often as you age — but that doesn’t mean it’s OK to ignore them. These symptoms can also be early warning signs of MS.

That's because MS can affect the parts of the nervous system responsible for balance and coordination, making it more difficult to sense your position in relation to your environment. Combined with muscle weakness and vision changes, balance problems can pose significant problems for people with MS.

5. Persistent fatigue

Who doesn’t feel tired from time to time — maybe even more often than you want? Unfortunately, many people are sleep-deprived, leading to regular feelings of tiredness.

Common fatigue tends to resolve, at least temporarily, following a good night’s sleep. With MS, feelings of fatigue are extreme and persistent, and they don’t improve regardless of the quality of our sleep.

6. Dizziness or vertigo

Again, dizziness and vertigo aren’t uncommon in the general population, regardless of whether you have MS. Inner ear disorders, medication side effects, and many other conditions can also cause these symptoms.

Not surprisingly, recognizing these symptoms as signs of MS can be challenging, which is why it’s important to talk to our neurology team if you regularly experience dizziness or vertigo or if these symptoms occur with others on this list.

7. Brain fog

For some people with MS, changes in cognitive function are among the first noticeable symptoms — though once again, it can be tempting to attribute them to aging, stress, or even poor sleeping habits. 

Because MS affects your central nervous system — your brain and spinal cord — it shouldn’t be surprising that it can affect your cognitive functioning. It specifically interferes with your memory, your ability to process information, and even your ability to concentrate and pay attention. 

Even though these changes can be mild at first, they can quickly disrupt conversations, work performance, and even social interactions.

Don’t ignore recurring symptoms

There's no single symptom that confirms a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, and many of these warning signs can also be caused by other medical conditions. Because early intervention is so important, it is imperative that our team evaluate your symptoms as soon as possible.

If you think the symptoms you've been experiencing could be a sign of MS, request an appointment online or over the phone today with the team at Advanced Medical Care in Forest Hills, Queens, and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York.