Living With MS: Coping Strategies for Managing Daily Challenges

Living with MS: Coping Strategies for Managing Daily Challenges

If you are living with MS, daily life can be challenging. Once easy tasks can seem insurmountable. Your neurologist can help. The neurologists at Knight Neurology in Rockledge, FL, provide comprehensive neurology services, including diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis, or MS.

What You Need To Know About MS

Multiple sclerosis or MS is a complex autoimmune disease. Each of your nerves is covered with a myelin sheath. When you have MS, the myelin sheath is damaged, causing impaired nerve signals to your brain.

The signs and symptoms of MS can be profound and include:

• Numbness or weakness, typically on one side of your body
• Feelings of electric shock when you bend your neck
• Dizziness, tremors, and fatigue
• Difficulty walking
• Coordination problems
• Eye pain, double vision, blurred vision, or loss of vision
• Difficulty with speech, or slurred speech
• Loss of bladder or bowel control

Your neurologist can manage MS with a variety of medications and treatments including:

• Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation of your nerves
• Beta interferon to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms
• Copaxone suppresses your immune system and helps prevent damage to the myelin sheath
• Plasmapheresis, to replace plasma with a protein solution
• Physical therapy to increase your muscle strength and flexibility

Your neurologist may also recommend devices to aid mobility and dietary and lifestyle modifications. In addition to visiting your neurologist regularly, there are other steps you can take to help you cope with MS. Remember to:

• Try to exercise every day, to help keep your muscles strong and aid in coordination, and motor function
• Eat healthy foods, including plant-based foods and lean proteins like fish
• Avoid foods that cause inflammation, including sugary treats and sodas
• Get help from others to reduce fatigue, and take frequent rest breaks
• Enjoy brain-training exercises like crossword puzzles, matching, and memorization games
• Make a set sleep and wake-up schedule and try to stick to it
• Get plenty of vitamin D, either from sunlight, or supplements, or both, because vitamin D can limit the progression of MS

Want To Know More?

To find out more about the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis, call the neurologists at Knight Neurology in Rockledge, FL. You can reach them in the office by calling (321) 345-6331, so call today.