8 Less Common Symptoms of MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) results when the body’s immune system starts to attack and destroy myelin, the protecting coating on nerve fibers in the brain and/or spinal cord of the central nervous system. Common symptoms of MS include fatigue; numbness and tingling of the face, body, arms and legs; muscle spasms; walking difficulties; bladder problems; bowel problems; vision problems; and cognitive changes.

But there are some less common symptoms of MS that you should know about. Here’s a list of eight lesser-known potential MS signs.

Speech problems might happen in approximately 25 to 40 percent of multiple sclerosis patients. Problems with speech may show during a later stage of the disease course, and during periods when patients experience an extreme level of fatigue. Stuttering is also a speech issue that can occasionally occur.

Learn more about less common signs of MS.

Difficulty swallowing, called dysphagia, is a serious result of nerve damage. It can occur if there is nerve damage to any part of the brain that controls swallowing or if there is damage to the connections between the brain and the spinal cord.

Do you know how it really feels to have MS?

Tremor, or shaking uncontrollably, may happen in several parts of the body. This is a result of damaged areas along the complex of nerve pathways that are responsible for coordinating movement.

Learn more about less common signs of MS.

Seizures are the result of abnormal electrical discharges in an injured area of the brain. They are estimated to occur in 2 to 5 percent of people with MS.

Here are some tips to help you manage your multiple sclerosis.

Trouble breathing may occur in people with damage to the autonomic (automatic) nervous system, which is responsible for our breathing without us even thinking about it. Weakness can occur in the ventilatory muscles of the chest or abdomen.

Here are some tips to help you manage your multiple sclerosis.

Itching, also called pruritus, is not the kind of itching people without MS feel. MS patients describe the itching as “pins and needles,” burning, stabbing, or tearing pains.

Learn more about less common signs of MS.

Headaches are not a common symptom of multiple sclerosis, but some reports suggest that people with MS may experience an increased incidence of certain types of headache, such as migraine.

Do you know how it really feels to have MS?

About 6 percent of patients with from multiple sclerosis complain of impaired hearing. Hearing loss can occur, but it is rare.

Find out more about less common signs of MS.

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