Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Multiple Sclerosis

  • Most people who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) are women in their child-bearing years. Questions about whether MS affects getting pregnant or about labor and delivery are common. Here are some answers: Most couples in which one partner has MS are able to have children without MS affecting the...

  • An MRI scan is the best way to locate multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions (also called plaques) in the brain or spinal cord. An MRI scan is abnormal in more than 95% of people recently diagnosed with MS. But abnormal MRI results do not always...

  • Cognitive impairment problems can be caused by multiple sclerosis (MS) and may include difficulty with: Memory, especially short-term memory. Problem solving. Keeping attention on a mental task, such as a math calculation. Finding the right words to...

  • Finding out that you have multiple sclerosis (MS) can be frightening. Even if you know a lot about MS, it is hard to predict how the disease will affect you. Some questions you might ask include the following: Will I have to use a wheelchair? MS affects how nerves in your brain and spinal cord communicate...

  • Exercise is an important part of home treatment for people who have multiple sclerosis (MS). It has benefits in both early and advanced stages of the disease. Regular exercise can help you: Maintain muscle strength and improve coordination. Maintain...

  • There is no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS). So far, the only treatments proved to affect the course of the disease are disease-modifying medicines, such as interferon beta. Other types of treatment should not replace these medicines if you are a candidate for treatment with them. Some people who have MS report...

  • If you have trouble moving around or if you become tired easily because of multiple sclerosis (MS), it may help to make some changes in your home. For instance, it might be helpful to: Change the location of furniture so that you can hold on to...

  • A person with multiple sclerosis (MS) may have difficulty emptying the bladder completely, because the muscle that helps to retain urine cannot relax (a form of spasticity). Sometimes urination can be stimulated by pressing or tapping the bladder...

  • Before conducting a neurological examination for multiple sclerosis (MS), the doctor will collect information about your symptoms. The kinds of symptoms, as well as how and when they occur, are important in evaluating whether you might have MS. Even symptoms that you might have had several years ago can be important...

  • An evoked potential test measures the time it takes for nerves to respond to stimulation. The size of the response is also measured. Nerves from different areas of the body may be tested. Types of responses are: Visual evoked response or potential (VER or VEP). This response occurs when the eyes are stimulated...

  • Covers the four courses of MS: relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, primary progressive, and progressive relapse. Discusses early and advanced symptoms. Also covers complications. Discusses diagnosis and treatment. Includes info on pregnancy and MS.

  • Guides you through decision to take medicines to treat MS (called disease-modifying therapy). Covers medicine choices. Covers side effects. Lists reasons for and against taking medicines. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.

  • Multiple sclerosis, often called MS, affects the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord. It can cause problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling, and thinking. Rehabilitation programs often help. They include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and cognitive...

  • Generally, multiple sclerosis (MS) follows one of four courses: Relapsing-remitting, where you have alternating periods of active disease when symptoms flare up and periods when symptoms fade. This cycle can occur for many years. The disease does not advance during the remissions. Secondary progressive, where you...

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects different people in different ways. For people who have only mild symptoms from time to time, the disease may not have much impact on their everyday lives. People with more severe MS have frequently recurring or ongoing symptoms and may become disabled within a few years. Most people...

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects different people in different ways. For people who have only mild symptoms from time to time, the disease may not have much impact on their everyday lives. People with more severe MS have frequently recurring or ongoing symptoms and may become disabled within a few years. Most people...

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