Women have a much higher chance of developing MS and twice as many women are diagnosed with this disease than men. However, this disease is poorly understood and why the symptoms of MS in women are autoimmune in nature is something that doctors are still looking into. Why the female body is more susceptible to this disease is also something that continues to elude researchers.
There are multiple theories about female hormone fluctuations that could possibly have an inflammatory effect that affects the immune system and results in symptoms of MS in women. The hallmark of multiple sclerosis is the myelin sheath that covers the nerves getting damaged after the immune system targets them and treats them like foreign invaders. A healthy immune system should only fight against true foreign invaders, such as viruses, toxins, fungi and bacteria, but when it comes to autoimmune disorders, it actually attacks healthy tissue.
When someone has allergies, the immune system goes into overdrive without having a real reason to and starts to overreact to rather harmless things like pollen or dust. When it comes to MS, the immune system has the same overreaction to the myelin sheaths. While these are not life-threatening conditions, the potential symptoms of MS can truly devastate a person’s quality of life. The symptoms that occur will ultimately depend on the nerves that are being targeted and will determine the different MS symptoms in women. For example, women can experience issues like muscle spasms, tremors, balance issues and walking difficulty if motor nerves are targeted.
Visual symptoms can occur if the optic nerves are targeted and can include issues like double vision and blurriness. The symptoms can occur suddenly or over a long period of time and when MS is left untreated, nothing is being done to stop the immune system from attacking the nerves in the body. This means that the covering of the nerves eventually gets destroyed and symptoms get worse and worse.
Multiple sclerosis cannot be cured as of today and all multiple sclerosis treatments regimens are focused on trying to preserve and improve your quality of life, as well as work to inhibit the progression of this disease. Multiple conventional treatments exist to suppress the immune system, such as immunomodulating drugs and corticosteroids, as well as drugs to relieve the symptoms, such as muscle relaxers and pain relievers.
Natural multiple sclerosis treatments can include things like changes to your diet and taking supplements to try and improve nervous system health, reduce inflammation and calm the immune system. For treatments to have the best chance at being effective, it is critical that MS is diagnosed promptly and that treatment is started right away.
The You Can Beat MS program and other natural therapies do not just look at the present disease state, but also at the underlying causes of MS. When looking at the different symptoms of MS in women, it is important to look at a variety of factors, such as how hormones may affect the immune system and how the immune system can lead to MS and other autoimmune issues.
Specific treatments for women with MS need to look at hormonal imbalances and how these may lead to not only the development of MS, but how they influence the progression of MS as well.
Treating the Symptoms of MS in Women
Multiple sclerosis remains somewhat of an enigma, despite major advances in medical science, but we do understand many ways to effectively treat this disease. MS is a progressive disease and it worsens over time so both patients and doctors need to work together to get a quick and definitive diagnosis so that treatment is not delayed. Early treatment can improve the prognosis of this disease.
When treatment is started early, we reduce how long the immune system is allowed to essentially go haywire and attack the nerves so that less damage is allowed to occur. Some patients will choose pharmaceutical treatments to aid in slowing the progression of the disease and reducing the symptoms, while other patients may choose a more natural approach.
Most patients will find a good balance between both natural therapies and pharmaceutical treatments. Natural treatments do not involve drugs so they can usually be used along with pharmaceutical treatments without causing any problems. Some MS patients will find that making specific dietary changes and utilising vitamin D3 supplements can help them to actually need pharmaceutical treatments less.
Conventional medications are very effective, but the potential for harsh side effects is something all patients face. Common side effects of pharmaceutical treatments include flu-like symptoms, nausea, fatigue and increase vulnerability to infections. The side effects have the potential to reduce quality of life so that things like a normal social life, attending school and working full-time are more difficult.
Natural treatments usually take much longer to work – as much as several weeks with some herbs – but the side effects are usually far less noticeable, if you experience any at all.
With MS, there is no single approach that will be beneficial in reducing the symptoms of MS in women. A treatment plan that works great for one patient will not always be a great option for you. In fact, many people with MS find that they have to adjust and alter their treatment regimen over time.
Natural therapies offer some additional freedom when it comes to illness management and they may even increase the effectiveness of your current treatment plan. This is a big reason why, though there are several, women add natural remedies to their MS regimen to reduce the symptoms of MS.