Multiple Sclerosis (Answers at Your Fingertips)

Written by four experts on MS, this comprehensive book answers 315 questions asked by people with multiple sclerosis and their families. It covers the whole range of symptoms and treatments, and offers reliable and practical advice on living life with MS. Contents......Page 6 Foreword by Simon Gillespie......Page 11 Foreword by Chris Jones......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Introduction......Page 14 HOW YOU MIGHT USE THIS BOOK......Page 15 1 | What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?......Page 18 HOW MANY PEOPLE GET MS, AND WHO ARE THEY?......Page 26 TYPES OF MS......Page 32 THE COURSE OF MS......Page 37 3 | Genetic and environmental factors in MS......Page 42 GENETICS......Page 43 CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER DISEASES......Page 45 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS......Page 50 DIET......Page 52 WHY ME? IS IT MY FAULT?......Page 53 4 | Diagnosis of MS......Page 56 HOW WILL I KNOW?......Page 57 TESTS......Page 60 RECEIVING THE NEWS......Page 72 CONDITIONS SOMETIMES CONFUSED WITH MS......Page 75 5 | Symptoms of MS......Page 77 6 | Relapses......Page 82 MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF RELAPSES......Page 89 7 | Principles of management in MS......Page 92 CARE OR CURE?......Page 93 THE TWO-STAGE MODEL......Page 96 MONITORING PROGRESS......Page 98 8 | Conventional disease-modifying drugs used in MS......Page 100 THE BENEFITS OF DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUGS......Page 101 SIDE EFFECTS......Page 117 IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUGS......Page 121 NON-LICENSED DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUG TREATMENTS......Page 124 9 | New disease-modifying treatments used in MS......Page 127 MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES......Page 129 OTHER POTENTIAL DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUGS......Page 136 POTENTIAL ORAL (TABLET) TREATMENTS......Page 137 MEDIA HYPE......Page 141 TYPES OF RESEARCH......Page 143 GENETICS......Page 145 CLINICAL TRIALS......Page 146 POTENTIAL TREATMENTS FOR SYMPTOMS......Page 150 CANNABIS-BASED MEDICINES......Page 152 STEM CELL THERAPY......Page 156 11 | Complementary therapies and MS......Page 159 WHERE TO GO......Page 160 DIFFERENT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES......Page 162 MANAGING BLADDER PROBLEMS......Page 169 PROBLEMS WITH THE BOWELS......Page 174 13 | Pain, sensations, cramps and spasticity......Page 177 NERVE PAIN......Page 178 ALTERED SENSATIONS......Page 184 CRAMPS AND SPASTICITY......Page 189 FATIGUE......Page 191 COGNITIVE AND MENTAL PROBLEMS......Page 194 DEPRESSION......Page 198 15 | Mobility (including driving), balance and tremor......Page 202 BALANCE......Page 203 EXERCISES......Page 204 AIDS AND EQUIPMENT TO HELP WITH MOBILITY......Page 211 CHAIRS AND WHEELCHAIRS......Page 216 DRIVING......Page 217 TREMOR......Page 219 SPEECH......Page 221 EATING AND SWALLOWING......Page 223 DIET AND MS......Page 225 EYE PROBLEMS......Page 232 PROBLEMS WITH HEARING......Page 234 18 | Sexual function......Page 236 19 | Pregnancy and childbirth......Page 246 MS AND PREGNANCY......Page 247 AFTER THE BIRTH......Page 250 BREASTFEEDING......Page 251 EMPLOYMENT AND MS......Page 253 SOCIAL LIFE......Page 257 FINANCES......Page 260 SUPPORT......Page 264 RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARTNERS......Page 269 RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN......Page 272 BEING A CARER......Page 281 22 | Other relationships......Page 283 RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDS......Page 284 RELATIONSHIPS WITH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS......Page 286 | Appendix 1 Useful addresses......Page 309 | Appendix 2 Further reading and useful resources......Page 323 | Appendix 3 The Revised McDonald Criteria......Page 328 | Appendix 4 ABN/NICE treatment guidelines......Page 331 | Index......Page 334 Multiple sclerosis is a complex and unpredictable neurological disease usually diagnosed in early adulthood. It can affect any part of the brain and spinal cord and the symptoms can vary widely in type and severity. For many people the most disabling aspect of MS is uncertainty about the future and the unpredictability of the symptoms. Accurate information is essential to help you understand this difficult condition and minimise its effect on your life. Written by four experts, this comprehensive book answers 315 real questions asked by people with multiple sclerosis and their families. It covers the whole range of symptoms and treatments, and offers reliable and practical advice on living life with MS. At least 85,000 in the UK are officially diagnosed as having MS, and many more may be undiagnosed. This edition of this popular Q&A book answers over 200 real patient questions about MS.