Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder that affects myelinated axons in the central nervous system (CNS), causing physical disability in over 30 percent of people between the ages of 20 and 25. It is a type of immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMIDS) wherein the immune system attacks and disrupts the transmission of messages between the brain and the rest of the body.
MS is characterized by recurring symptoms that affect multiple body parts. Patients with severe MS may suffer from complete or partial loss of independence to extended periods of symptom-free remission. Disease progression in MS often follows a relapsing-remitting pattern. They go through spurts of worsening health, lasting a few days to weeks, before gradually feeling better. After a recurrence, the illness may go into remission, which can happen in several weeks to even years. Primary-progressive multiple sclerosis is characterized by a slow start of symptoms and a steady worsening over time, with no relapses in between. When symptoms intensify, they sometimes manifest mobility problems.
MS affects women more than men and is recorded to shorten the life expectancy of patients. MS is still incurable. However, medicines may lessen the severity of episodes, alter the disease’s progression, and alleviate symptoms.
Fatigue
One of the most typical MS symptoms is extreme tiredness or fatigue. It affects between 75 and 95 percent of MS patients and causes significant impairment in their daily life. All phases of the illness are equally susceptible to fatigue, but the severity of fatigue is not equivalent to the severity of the disease itself.
Several studies state that the immune system’s overall activity state due to MS contributes to weariness. Cytokines are a chemical messenger that tends to be elevated in MS patients, especially those who experience fatigue. Patients may exert more mental effort since they have to engage more brain regions to complete the same activity as someone without the disease. Furthermore, the slowed brain electrical signaling contributes to weariness.
Fatigue may take two different forms in MS patients. The first kind involves a general feeling of exhaustion and sensations of sleep deprivation, which exacerbates during the afternoon. On the other hand, muscular fatigue is the second type. This form of fatigue worsens after prolonged physical exertion and is commonly experienced during strolling or walking. Some individuals may experience dragging one leg and imbalance. Lastly, the effects of fatigue tend to worsen towards the end of each day, in hot weather, after exercise, or while sick.
