Neurologists discover first ‘warning signs’ of MS that strike up to five years before patients are diagnosed… and they’re not tell-tale symptoms
Constipation could be an early warning sign of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers claimed today.
Neurologists also believe that urinary tract infections, bladder infections, depression and sexual problems could potentially indicate that someone is unknowingly suffering from the cruel condition.
One study found that the five conditions affected MS patients for up to five years before they were finally diagnosed.
Dr. Celine Louapre, from Sorbonne University in Paris, said: 'Of course not everyone with these symptoms will develop MS.'
She added that all four are “common” and “can also be signs of other diseases.”
It is estimated that more than 130,000 people in the UK have MS, with almost 7,000 diagnosed each year. Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty walking, vision problems, bladder control problems, numbness and tingling in parts of the body, and problems with balance (stock photo)
One study found that MS patients suffered from the five conditions for five years before they were finally diagnosed (Stock Image)
Dr. However, Louapre said the information could be useful for people at high risk of developing MS, such as anyone with a family history.
Typical symptoms of the condition include difficulty walking, vision problems and numbness.
But they can be extremely vague and intersect with other minor ailments.
Although less known, intestinal problems such as constipation and bladder problems such as urinary tract infections are already recognized as symptoms of MS. This also applies to depression and sexual problems.
However, patients are usually first affected by eye problems and difficulty walking.
Due to the unpredictability of symptoms, patients can take years to be diagnosed with the autoimmune disease.
MS is caused when something goes wrong with the immune system, causing it to accidentally attack the brain or spinal cord.
It specifically targets the protective layer of proteins and fatty acids that protects the nerves that carry signals from the brain, the so-called myelin sheath.
The myelin sheath becomes damaged and scarred, disrupting and slowing brain signals, such as those to the muscles needed for walking.
Figures suggest that around 130,000 Britons and 1 million Americans have MS.
There is no cure, but treatments can control the condition and relieve symptoms, such as steroid medication.
Researchers looked at data from 20,000 patients in Britain and France who had recently been diagnosed with MS.
They compared each person's medical history with three people who were matched in age and gender but did not have the condition.
The team then recorded which patients suffered from a range of 113 diseases and symptoms in the five years before and after their MS diagnosis.
Results, published in the journal Neurology, show that MS patients were 22 percent more likely to experience depression in the five years before their condition was confirmed, compared to those who did not have MS.
The group was also 50 percent more likely to have constipation, while the risk of urinary tract infections (38 percent), sexual problems (37 percent) and bladder infections (21 percent) were also higher.
The researchers then compared these conditions in people with MS with people with Crohn's disease and lupus – other autoimmune diseases.
The five possible symptoms were also more common in these patients in the five years before diagnosis than in the general population – meaning they 'lack specificity for MS'.
Experts say it 'remains unclear' whether the conditions are 'risk factors for MS' or 'non-specific early MS symptoms'.
However, they hope that these “early signs” can help scientists understand the biological mechanisms that occur in the bodies of MS patients before “actual symptoms of the disease develop.”