Recent Advances Offer Hope For People With MS
With multiple sclerosis still a disease without a known cure, it would be easy for many people to suddenly feel hopeless when they are diagnosed with this debilitating disease. Such a disease that can paralyze a sufferer at times and just plainly prevent a person from living a more meaningful life can be quite a problematic ailment indeed. But there is reason to hope. Recent breakthroughs have made it possible for researchers and scientists to make a step ahead in the search for that ultimate cure for multiple sclerosis.There have been a number of discoveries and developments that would help provide some hope for multiple sclerosis patients. One of the most significant of these breakthroughs include the discovery of a second gene that was linked to multiple sclerosis. This is considered as a major breakthrough in the researchers’ aim to find useful treatments for the disease and, ultimately, a much needed cure. The discovery of the gene is something worth noting in MS researcher that has spanned over 30 years of finding nothing conclusive about this debilitating disease.
Researchers and scientists are upbeat in being able to find other genes linked to multiple sclerosis which in turn can be used to target new treatments and possible cures for the disease. The thing about multiple sclerosis is that the symptoms exhibited by patients are various and differ from one case to another. The disease may also attack the different parts of the nervous system. Some MS patients may experience some trouble walking while others may not be able to walk at all. Some patients may have problems with speech due to the disease while others may experience blurred or even double vision.
Getting this new developments together and then using them to find possible treatments for multiple sclerosis provide a lot of hope indeed. And there are other breakthroughs that may also help add up to this hope for MS patients. Other advances in the study of multiple sclerosis has been the development of earlier and better diagnosis of the disease due to the advances in imaging technology.
Advances in the development of various drugs also provide hope for multiple sclerosis patients. There are now drugs available that can effectively reduce the severity and frequency of the symptoms, allowing MS patients to live a more normal life than before. Developments in several rehabilitation programs for multiple sclerosis also may help patient learn how to better cope up with their disease.
Effective MS Treatment May Depend on Disease Subtype
A study done by University of Michigan scientists suggests that patients suffering from similar clinical signs of multiple sclerosis may, in fact, have different forms of the disease which may require different treatments. Animal studies point out that the different subtypes of MS may likely affect how effective certain treatments are. Further studies, scientists believe will aid doctors in the future in pinpointing specific inflammatory processes in the body and then recommending the appropriate treatments using available drugs as well as the new ones along the line.
Multiple sclerosis is an auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system. Cells from the immune system mount an aggressive response against certain proteins in the nervous system, particularly myelin which is considered as the insulation covering the nerve pathways where signals from the brain to other parts of the body go through. A loss of myelin may affect the electrical communication between the brain and the other parts of the body. Symptoms of the disease include, feelings of numbness and tingling, weakness, tremors, imbalance and pain.
Since the 1990’s the treatment of the most common form of the disease, relapsing-remitting MS, has gradually improved. With medications such as beta interferon drugs and glatiramer acetate now available, treatment has proven to be very effective in decreasing the attack rate as well as the suppression of inflammatory plaque development caused by MS. But the effect that some MS treatments greatly help show dramatic improvements in the patient’s condition while not in others still remains an unanswered question.
The University of Michigan research team sought out to conduct studies in mice suffering from a disease called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis or EAE. The team found out that different inflammatory chemicals linked to two different types of immune T cells, could bring about paralysis and other MS-like symptoms. The team also showed that the drugs that may effectively block one of the inflammation pathways would not work as well in blocking the other.
According to Dr. Benjamin Segal, MD, senior author and the director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at the U-M Health System, “These two forms of disease differ in the specific anti-inflammatory agents that they are responsive to. We already know that some people respond better to the drugs beta interferon or Copaxone than others. Now we’ve shown proof that you can cause MS-like syndrome in mice due to qualitatively different types of inflammatory damage. As a result, these two kinds of inflammation likely require different approaches to treatment”.
It is not known as yet if the differences reflected in the animal studies will be similar to the human model of MS. But the study does suggest of the need to develop drugs that treat different inflammation pathways that may be caused by different forms of the disease.
New Pill to Treat MS Reduces Swelling by 40 Percent
There has been a new pill that currently is undergoing extensive trials that may someday provide an alternate and most welcome treatment for multiple sclerosis. As most treatments for MS today are given as injections. This new pill may someday provide an alternative oral treatment that many Ms patients would surely welcome with open arms.The said pill contains the new drug called laquinimod. The said drug has been able to improve the condition of patients with relapse-emitting MS showing only a few side effects. Multiple sclerosis is an auto-immune disease which is characterized by the destruction of myelin, the insulation tissue surrounding the nerve fibers in the central nervous system by the body’s own immune system. This leads to short circuits in the brain as the nerve cells cannot send the right signals to the brain with damaged myelin. Relapse-emitting MS is one of the most common types of the disease that affects a number of people all over the world.
So far treatments available for relapse-emitting MS requires the drugs to be injected into patients. This can make such treatments very inconvenient for some patients which might lead them not to consider such treatments at all. With laquinimod, patients can now consider another alternative. This time laquinimod come sin a pill that patients may be able to take orally.
In the study, the new pill was given on a daily basis to MS patients and was found to reduce inflammation in the brain caused by MS by as much as 40 percent as compared to a non-active placebo. The said drug has undergone a Phase II trial in 51 centers in nine countries led by Italian expert Professor Giancarlo Comi of the University Vita-Salute in Milan, Italy. In the said trial, 306 MS patients were divided into groups that were given either a placebo or doses of laquinimod. Subsequent brains scans and health checks revealed that those given with the new laquinimod showed fewer brain lesions and reduced swelling by as much as 40 percent than patients had before the said clinical trial.
Source:
Luteolin in Celery Show Promise for MS Treatment
Researchers recently found out that a plant compound found abundant in celery as well as green peppers have the ability to disrupt a key component known to induce an inflammatory response in the brain. A plant flavonoid known as luteolin may be able to reduce the inflammation of the brain, the findings of which may have implications for different research on aging and diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.The researcher from University of Illinois looked at the effect of luteolin on reducing age-related inflammation on the brain and therefore improve brain function or avoid some of the cognitive deficits that may occur during aging. Inflammation on the brain plays a key role in various neurodegeneratrive diseases. It is also considered to be behind the impairments of brain function usually seen as people age.
Luteolin is a plant compound that has been known to prevent the inflammatory response in various types of cells outside the central nervous system. The university of Illinois researchers, headed by animal sciences professor Rodney Johnson, tried to see if it had the same effects on brain cells. The researchers first studied the effects of the plant compound on microglia, a type of glial cell that acts as the primary active immune defense in the central nervous system.
Microglia respond to infection by producing inflammatory cytokines, the chemical messengers acting in the brain to induce a whole body response of fighting the infection. This response is associated with some of the obvious symptoms of illnesses such as fever and lethargy, loss of appetite and temporary memory loss. The inflammation response can also lead some neurons to self-destruct with potentially disastrous consequences.
In the study, the cells were induced to produce an inflammation response and then was exposed to the plant compound luteolin. The cells that were exposed to the plant flavonoid showed a significant reduction in inflammatory response. Luteolin seems to shut down the production of cytokine in the inflammatory pathway called interleukin-6 (IL-6). The exposure resulted in as much as a 90 percent reduction of IL-6 production. This may indicate that luteolin and other bioactive compounds may have a possible role in treating neuroinflammation.
Source: AJC.com
Cancer Drug Shows Promise in MS Treatment
A relatively small study involving the use of a generic cancer drug in treating multiple sclerosis is showing signs of a promising new approach to treating the incurable disease. The promising treatment makes use of the drug cyclophosphamide, which has already been around for over fifty years, as a possible new treatment approach for multiple sclerosis, researchers said.In the said study, a total of nine patients with multiple sclerosis were tracked for two years while taking high doses of the immune suppressing drug cyclophosphamide. Five of the said patients showed no signs of disease activity while the four other patients showed dramatic improvement, according to Dr. Douglas Kerr of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The nine patients in the study were given the generic cancer drug in large doses intravenously.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks myelin, a fatty substance found in the central nervous system, treating it as a foreign body. The myelin acts as as an insulating shield for the nerve cells in the spine, allowing it to provide effective communication between the brain and the other parts of the body. A damaged myelin sheath can affect electrical signals between the body and the different body parts, resulting in symptoms typical of multiple sclerosis. Such symptoms include, vision problems, coordination and balance difficulties, muscle weakness and fatigue, thinking and memory problems, just to name a few.
The patients included in the study were suffering form relapsing multiple sclerosis, the most common type of MS where patients experience periods of debilitating symptoms followed by periods of remission without showing any of the symptoms. All of the patients in the said study were considered to be the some of the worst cases of multiple sclerosis, with eight of them having no success with all the other treatments and the ninth having no previous treatment for the disease.
After two years of the treatment with cyclophosphamide, the study patients showed an average reduction in disability of about 40 percent. The study group also showed a promising 87 percent improvement during tests to measure mental and physical function. Not only that, brain imaging of the patients also showed that there was a substantial decrease in the average number of brain lesions from 6.5 to 1.2.
The promising results of the study could introduce an advance in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The researchers aim to start a bigger clinical trial involving other medical centers and a larger number of patients to try out the said treatment approach on a larger scale.
When The Body Reacts Against MS Drugs
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease that attacks the central nervous system. It can range from a condition that presents mild symptoms or it can be a debilitating disease that can change one’s life drastically. This happens because the communication between the brain and the other parts of the body are being disrupted. This, in turn, is due to the attack carried out by the immune system against myelin, which acts as an insulator to the nerves, the pathway of communication between the brain and the body.The problem that sufferers of multiple sclerosis have yet to know about a cure for what ails them. Doctors today have yet to find or discover a cure for the disease. What treatments are available out there try to relieve or reduce the effects of the symptoms rather than cure the disease. What drugs are now available as of the moment may only help treat a certain function or symptom of multiple sclerosis but would not offer the means to get rid of it. But the treatments do help MS sufferers from being able to live more normal lives than before.
But there are also times when the body tries to react against the drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis. There are some times when the body itself may not be able to work with the drugs aimed to treat multiple sclerosis symptoms. There are times that the body will work against them. This proven to be quite a challenge for doctors since the very drugs that may help treat the disease symptoms may actually not work. It is a good thing that there are now several treatments available that work to treat ms symptoms in different ways. This way when certain drugs do not work effectively to treat the disease symptoms, another type of treatment may be tried out.
It is up to a patient’s doctor to consider alternative treatments in case a current treatment is not working. The treatment should be closely monitored and checked for adverse effects that it might bring to the patient. When the effects seem potentially serious to the MS patient, the treatment should be stopped upon the advice of the doctor. Further tests should be made to make sure that the effects of the previous drug treatment may be the reason for the worsening of the disease. Tests may also be taken to make sure that the next recommended treatment may provide some positive effects to halt the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
Visiting The Doctor: Tips For MS Patients
Patients with multiple sclerosis should know more about their disease. The expert who will be able to provide them with this knowledge and give them a better understanding of the disease would be their doctor. Establishing a good doctor and patient relationship is just as important with MS patients as with other types of ailments. A visit to the right doctor would be of great help especially for people of with MS who are driven by fear instead of a better understanding of the disease that ails them.Multiple sclerosis is a disease that a few people seem to understand. Whenever they hear that they have MS, it seems to be the end of the world for them. But people can still live normal lives even with MS. All it takes is the proper treatment and the proper care that the right doctor can provide. And all this all boils down to finding the right doctor having the expertise and experience of treating the disease and helping patients cope up with it and lead normal lives.
When looking for the right doctor to handle their case, MS patients should be upfront of trying to know who are the medical specialists in their area who have the expertise and experience in treating the disease. A family doctor alone may not be able to provide the level of specialty that a neurologist can provide in terms of treating the disease. But what patients may be able to do is to ask their family doctor to refer a capable specialist in the field that he or she may know who might be able to provide a more expert assessment and a better understanding of the disease.
Bedsides looking for a specialist in multiple sclerosis to provide them with the proper knowledge and treatment of the disease, patients should also try to find a doctor with whom they can build up a good patient-doctor relationship. The only way that patients may be able to understand their disease and cope up with it is to have a doctor or a specialist with whom they feel comfortable with. Being comfortable will help foster better communication between the doctor and the patient. A doctor who might be an expert on MS but does not talk much to patients would not be of great help.
Patients suffering from multiple sclerosis surely have many questions bothering their minds about the disease. It takes a patient doctor who will be able to ease their concerns. That is what MS patients should try to look for- a doctor with whom the can easily communicate with. It should be a doctor not merely an expert in multiple sclerosis, but also someone that a patient can feel comfortable with.
When visiting a doctor, MS patients should also have to prepare. They should have already taken stock of the questions that they would want to ask their specialist. It would be better if patients list down these questions and concerns so as not to forget any important detail that they wish to know about multiple sclerosis. What knowledge that they get from their doctor in terms of available treatments, preventive measures and how the disease acts up would greatly help patients deal with the disease more objectively than just being consumed by fear that would lead to depression and hopelessness.
Redefining Intimacy in People with MS
Intimacy is a very important aspect in any relationship. For people suffering from multiple sclerosis, this can be quite a challenge. The disease itself may affect a number of bodily functions that may also affect a person’s sex life. In fact, in the general US population, there are about 30 to 40 percent of people with MS who have experienced sexual dysfunction at one point or another during the course of their disease.The sexual dysfunction that people with multiple sclerosis may experience can be differentiated into several types. There is the primary sexual dysfunction that is partly caused by the lesions that may have formed in the spinal cord or brain caused by the development of the disease. There are also the indirect forms of sexual dysfunction that people with MS may experience that is not directly linked to the disease such as experiencing symptoms such as numbness or tingling sensation in the hands and legs that may interfere with enjoying some intimate closeness with a partner.
The other form of sexual dysfunction that people with MS experience would be due to psychosocial concerns. Sometimes, people MS tend to think seriously of how people around perceive them and are sensitive to their image. This can sometimes also affect how their partners perceive them which can have an effect on their intimacy later on. People with MS as well as with some other physical image concerns can find themselves more inhibited and insecure which can have an effect on issues when it comes to intimacy.
Men who suffer from multiple sclerosis may have different concerns when it comes to intimacy than women with MS do. Most men with MS suffer from erectile dysfunction due to the disease which can greatly hamper their sex life. Women with MS on the other hand, sometimes experience vaginal dryness as one of the symptoms of their disease. How these symptoms affect people with MS and how they as well as their partners cope with it would determine the seriousness of the intimacy issues that they may find themselves in.
For people having to live with MS, intimacy issues will certainly come at some point. It is up to the couple on how they see and react to it. For couples willing to continue on and fight it out, there are many ways that their level of intimacy can be improved despite the problems brought about by MS. There are treatments that can be offered to help relieve some of the symptoms of the disease that may affect intimacy in some form. But most importantly, partners should try to have more flexibility and creativity in terms of handling intimacy issues because of multiple sclerosis. A better sense of understanding of the disease, the situation of the people who have them would help make things easier for couples trying to handle the intimacy challenges brought about by the disease.
Yoga for MS
The practice of yoga may be able to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system attacks the myelin tissue that covers the nerves in the brain and the spinal cord. The myelin acts as as insulation for the nerves that send electrical impulses from the brain t the body. Without the insulation, these electrical signals would come out confused and misdirected.The connection that yoga has with multiple sclerosis is based on physical activity. One of the ways to manage multiple sclerosis is through physical activity. One of the symptoms of MS is impaired physical coordination, fatigue and muscle tension. These symptoms can be relived in a way through regular physical activity. Yoga is a practice that would suit very well with people with multiple sclerosis, either they show outward symptoms of the disease or not.
Yoga is an ancient body and mind practice that originated in India. Although based on spiritual ideas, yoga is also known for its practice of several postures (asanas) that is said to aid in meditation and spiritual enlightenment. It is as a form of exercise that yoga may be able to become a benefit for people with multiple sclerosis.
Yoga, as a form of exercise can help improve the body’s flexibility by assuming the different types of postures or asanas associated with its practice of meditation. And for people with multiple sclerosis, this can prove to be very helpful. An improvement in body flexibility would mean that the muscles go through a regular workout. The practice of low-impact yoga exercises is just perfect for those people with multiple sclerosis.
In fact, studies have shown that low impact exercise like some forms of yoga can actually help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. A regular exercise program of 30 minutes to an hour for at least three times a week have seen patients experiencing less fatigue to a certain degree. Not only that, people also benefit from having improved balance as well as an improved muscle tone just by doing simple low impact yoga exercises.
What makes yoga quite attractive is that it is fairly simple and easy to start with since it does not require the use of exercising equipment. But in order for such exercises to be effective in managing MS, people should first consult with their doctor first before starting any yoga exercise program. Then, talk with a yoga instructor who will be able to give you yoga classes aimed for people with multiple sclerosis. Since there are different difficulty levels to the practice of yoga exercises, start off with the beginner program which is usually the ideal form of yoga for managing MS.
Pregnancy And Diet Soda
There have been growing concerns whether diet soda may have an effect on a woman’s pregnancy. Since pregnancy is a sensitive stage in a woman’s life health wise, there are some things that just need to be avoided in order to ensure that women go through a safe and healthy pregnancy. Consuming diet soda seems to be a question mark on many pregnant women’s minds, but they do not really know why.
Is diet soda safe?
Under normal circumstances, diet soda is fairly safe to consume. It can even help women stay in shape by trying to avoid the ordinary sugar that comes with ordinary soda. But during pregnancy, there are certain issues that pregnant women should know about diet soda to fully understand if they are to be considered safe to consume. One of them is the issue about the sugar substitute used on diet sodas.
Aspartame
There are two types of sugar substitutes used in the manufacture of diet sodas. They are aspartame and saccharin. Aspartame is a non-caloric sweetener that is used in diet sodas and other foods. This sweetener is made up of two amino acids and is broken down by the body just like any other protein during digestion. This sweetener has been found in studies not to penetrate into the placental barrier of the fetus, hence not affecting the baby as it is developing.
Although considered safe, the sweetener aspartame may instead affect pregnant women who may have a history of a condition known as phenylketonuria or PKU. It is a rare hereditary condition where a person has trouble in metabolizing a particular protein known as phenylalanine. This protein is found in aspartame. Pregnant women should have themselves tested for PKU since high levels of phenylalanine can cause damage to the fetus.
Saccharin
Saccharin is another sweetener used in diet sodas. Unlike aspartame, saccharin has been found in studies to have a direct effect on the fetuses of animal models. Rats given high doses of saccharin experienced significantly higher birth defects when becoming pregnant. In this case, diet drinks containing saccharin may be something that pregnant women should avoid in order to stay safe.
Caffeine
Another thing worth considering with diet sodas is that some of them may contain caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that can raise the blood pressure and the heart rate. What’s more, caffeine can pass through the placental barrier of the fetus. This means that what can affect the mother can also affect the fetus. Caffeine can affect the sleep patterns as well as the normal movement patterns of the baby. The fetus can’t metabolize caffeine the same way as the mother can and therefore should be avoided at all times during pregnancy.
« Previous Entries Next Entries »
