7 Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis You Should Have on Your Radar

These gait and balance issues can lead to falls. In fact, roughly half of 52 people with M.S. in a 2011 Handbook of Clinical Neurology¹³ study reported having fallen within the preceding six months.

Balance problems

As we mentioned, people with M.S. may have a hard time with their balance. Other common M.S. symptoms can make it difficult to balance, like:

Numbness or weakness in your legs
Tremors
Lack of coordination

If M.S. affects the balance center of your brain—the cerebellum¹⁴—you can become unsteady on your feet, Dr. Lannen explains.

Bowel problems

Nearly two thirds of people with M.S. have gastrointestinal difficulties, including diarrhea, constipation, and difficulty controlling bowel movements, according to the University of Pittsburgh.¹⁵

Why? Your GI tract communicates with nerves outside your brain and spinal cord that help your gastrointestinal system work properly. Multiple sclerosis can disrupt the normal functioning of the central nervous system and interfere with that communication process, leading to bowel issues.

Sexual dysfunction

M.S. can affect several aspects of your sexual functioning. For example, you may experience decreased sensations in your genitals, which could lead to trouble orgasming, according to the Cleveland Clinic.¹⁶ People can also experience lower libido, decreased vaginal lubrication, and erectile dysfunction.

Dr. Lannen says there are several possibilities for why this happens. Lesions in the spinal cord and brain cortex can cause numbness or difficulty feeling certain sensations—including in your genitals, he says. These lesions can also lead to a drop in libido, less vaginal lubrication, and trouble getting erect, according to the Cleveland Clinic.¹⁶ Or you may just not feel like having sex if you’re constantly fatigued, in pain, or depressed about your health, Dr. Lannen says.

Mental health

Between 40% and 60% of people with M.S. develop depression. The reasons for depression can vary, from the stress of coping with a chronic illness to the disease itself. M.S. may damage the myelin surrounding nerves that transmit signals in the body that affect mood, according to the Cleveland Clinic.⁵ Certain medications used to treat M.S. can even cause depression. If you notice you’re experiencing signs of depression, Dr. Jacobs recommends talking to your doctor. Your clinician may switch your medication if they think that’s causing your depression, or they may refer you to a therapist who can help you talk through some of the emotional challenges of living with a chronic condition.¹⁷

M.S. flare-up

A flare-up (also known as a relapse or attack) happens when you either experience new symptoms or your previous symptoms return.

Flares can be caused by things like heat, high humidity, extremely cold temperatures, and changes in temperature, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The reasons aren’t entirely understood, but it’s believed that heat can make symptoms worse because it causes nerves to conduct electrical signals less efficiently than usual. Viral or bacterial infections, new medications, overactivity, and stress can also play a role, according to the University of Pittsburgh.¹⁸

There is no cure for M.S., but you can get your symptoms to a manageable point. “Remission is a state of no active M.S. problems,” Dr. Moses says.

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