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Healthy nervous system compared to a multiple sclerosis nervous system
Introduction to multiple sclerosis
Introduction to multiple sclerosis
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Mr. Jorge Washington is a 62 yrs. old Caucasian male. He lives in Jumping Branch, WV. He was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 28. He lives with his wife and 2 children in one story house. Patient uses wheelchair for functional mobility and requires assistance with daily living activities. Patient was a farmer by profession.
Diagnosis
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the Central Nervous System including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The immune system attacks the protective sheath called myelin that helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses (Early, pg. 517,2013). It disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and the body. Multiple Sclerosis is diagnosed when there will be the evidenced of damage in at least two separate parts of Central Nervous System (Early, pg. 517,2013). It causes the demyelination that is disruption of the myelin that insulates and protects nerve cells of spinal nerve and brain cells. The cause of Multiple Sclerosis is still unknown (Early, pg. 517,2013). Most commonly affects the people between the ages of 15 and 60. It can occur at any age and can appear in children, teens, and older adults. It is more common in women than men (Early, pg. 517,2013). It may follow various courses related to progression
Symptoms
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The symptoms may differ from person to person and can change or fluctuate over the time period (Early, pg. 517,2013). The symptoms include the loss of vision or double vision if the optic nerve is affected, fatigue, cognitive disturbances as well as sensory loss. The symptoms also include numbness, tingling, spasticity, dizziness, vertigo, tremor, pain, sexual dysfunction, heat intolerance and bowel/bladder dysfunctions (Early, pg.
Mairs’ piece is a careful examination of her experience with MS and her perspective towards her future. In contrast, Soyster writes humorously of a particular incident he had with MS and artfully weaves his ideas about the disease in with his story. In both instances, the authors share the purpose of narrating their encounter with MS to the world to raise awareness.
BM is a 63-year-old women born in St. Joseph Missouri. She sustained a right cerebrovascular accident 3 years ago responsible for her left hemiplegia. Since her stroke BM has not been able to independently live on her own, work or care for herself. Due to her health condition she is completely wheelchair bound and is dependent on the caregivers at the assisted living facility where she resides. BM feels that she has lost her independence since her stroke and it has greatly impacted her ability to
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease affecting the myelination of the central nervous system, leading to numerous issues regarding muscle strength, coordination, balance, sensation, vision, and even some cognitive defects. Unfortunately, the etiology of MS is not known, however, it is generally thought of and accepted as being an autoimmune disorder inside of the central nervous system (Rietberg, et al. 2004). According to a study (Noonan, et al. 2010) on the prevalence of MS, the disease affects more than 1 million people across the world, and approximately 85% of those that are affected will suffer from unpredictably occurring sessions of exacerbations and remissions. The report (Noonan, et al. 2010) found that the prevalence of MS was much higher in women than in men, and that it was also higher in non-Hispanic whites than in other racial or ethnic groups throughout the 3 regions of the United States that were studied.
Montel Williams is a true fighter and refused to let any of his adversities hold him back. He has never given up and still today informs his audience and the people about this disease and makes them aware that they are not invincible from it. Williams has made it through the recognition, the pain, the press, and the suffering. He has become one of the worlds most well-known and accomplished star and philanthropists. He has dedicated his life to helping others and informing others about multiple sclerosis. He knows the heartaches and the pain these people have been through, go through, and will go through. He knows what these patients need to fight back and win. He knows because he is a fighter himself and he defeats his illness everyday and in his eyes reigns victorious.
Impairment and sometimes loss of motor control of the body and its extremities is one of the many effects of this disorder. Patients may complain of headaches, neck pain, coughing, sneezing, dizziness, vertigo, disequilibrium, muscle weakness, balance problems, and loss of fine motor control (1). The senses (hearing, sight, smell etc.) may also be affected in deleterious ways. On can have blurred vision, decreased sensation of limbs, unable to locate them without looking, decreased sense of taste, ringing of the ears etc. (2).
What is Multiple Sclerosis? Ms is an Autoimmune disorder. When the disorder progresses the nerves will be damaged and so the damaged is caused by inflammation. Another thing is the cells that were protected by a layer will be damaged as well. So when you have the damaged cell this will lead to the brain and the spinal cord. So that is what MS is.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheaths, or oligodendrocytes that cover nerve axons in the central nervous system (PubMed Health 2013). This immune response causes inflammation, which triggers immune cells to destroy axons “along any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord” (PubMed Health 2013). When the myelin sheath “is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop” thus hindering the propagation of action potentials and limiting function (PubMed Health 2013).
According to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. The central nervous system (CNS) comprises of the brain and the spinal cord. CNS is coated and protected by myelin sheath that is made of fatty tissues (Slomski, 2005). The inflammation and damage of the myelin sheath causing it to form a scar (sclerosis). This results in a number of physical and mental symptoms, including weakness, loss of coordination, and loss of speech and vision. The way the disease affect people is always different; some people experience only a single attack and recover quickly, while others condition degenerate over time (Wexler, 2013). Hence, the diagnosis of MS is mostly done by eliminating the symptoms of other diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects both men and women, but generally, it is more common in women more than men. The disease is most usually diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, however, it can occur at any age. Someone with a family history of the disease is more likely to suffer from it. Although MS is not
Primarily, the term MS refers to a chronic disorder that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). It is most common in temperate continents such as Europe and Australia with Asiatic and African continents having a lower risk of the disease (Wiley Online Library, 2013). A search organised by the Multiple Sclerosis Society (2013) has estimated that there are 127,000 people living with MS in the United Kingdom. Further research by Chipps, Clanin, and Campbell (1992, pp. 158-167) shows that MS disorder more likely affects women than men with its symptoms occurring between the ages of 20 and 40 in most cases and is quite uncommon in childhood and old age. The nerve cells known as neurons in the brain constantly transmit and receive signals. They invoke emotions, activities and cognition that constitute the day to day experiences of humans. Under normal circumstances, these signals travel on a protected insulation path known as the myelin sheath. This insulation is vital as it enables signals to reach their target. In Multiple Sclerosis, the myelin sheath gets disintegrated causing the nerve fibre to be damaged leading to a disruption in the abili...
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a complicated chronic deteriorating disease that has an effect on the central nervous system (CNS). This disease causes destruction of the myelin around the nerve fibers. “The exact etiology of Multiple Sclerosis is unknown; however, it is thought to be an immune mediated disease. MS is characterized by CNS inflammation, demyelination, and axonal loss” (Compston & Coles, 2008). Typically, it is described by early relapses and remissions of neurological signs of the CNS. This is known as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). MS can be identified by a variety of known risk factors. Multiple Sclerosis can be brought on by a mixture of inherited and environmental risk factors such as smoking or an exposure to a virus like Epstein Barr. The inflammatory process has an interesting role on the central nervous system.
Multiple sclerosis was first discovered in 1868 by a neurologist by the name of Jean Martin- Charcot. Multiple sclerosis receives its name from the distinctive areas of scar tissue with the formation of damaged myelin sheaths. Multiple Sclerosis is referred to as an immune- mediated response that targets the central nervous system, including the spinal cord, the brain, and other parts of the body. The central nervous system is usually targeted by an abnormal response to the human body’s immune system causing an attack on the myelin coated fibers around nerve fibers. Generally, this occurs due to inflammation of myelin in the brain, causing lesions or plaques to form. Since myelin sheaths in the nervous system are there to increase nerve impulses,
When a person begins to suffer from Guillain- Barre Syndrome their myelin sheath of their nervous system is being attacked and destroyed by the immune system (NINDS, 2011). The myelin sheath begins to lose its ability to transmit signals rapidly and affectively. Since signals are not getting transmitted to the brain fast enough, a person begins to notice fewer sensory responses from the rest of the body (NINDS, 2011). A person wouldn’t be able to tell right away or at all if an item they are touching is hot, cold, or causing pain. There also wouldn’t be good signal transmission from the brain to the rest of the body (NINDS, 2011). There would be signs of the muscles being unable to respond to the weakened or distraught signals they were receiving. Since the myelin sheath is responsible for transmitting the signals from a long distance, the upper and lower extremities would be the first to show signs of muscle dysfunction.
Working as a clinical social worker in the Washington, DC area with patients diagnosed with life-limiting illness such as, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Lou Gehrig ’s disease (ALS), has taught me to be dedicated to a person-centered approach to therapy with patients and their families. Person-centered care is a trend that has been building in the social work community over the last few years. And I had considered the idea of person-centered care as a decent and noble practice. I now wholeheartedly trust the patient as the most salient guide in developing their own treatment.
When I found out that I was a recipient of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Scholarship, I was overjoyed to have an award that is directly related to an important part of my life. Without this scholarship, I do not believe I would have been able to attend Ohio University. My mother had been concerned about the cost of college, but receiving this honor helped her become more at ease with the idea of me going to a public university and not starting school at the local community college. I have now been in college for almost two months, and feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to pursue an education at my dream university. However, I am re-applying to this scholarship in the hopes of continuing to earn financial assistance from
Answers to questions 1 and 3 could be interrelated. Our case study patient might have neurological symptoms or complications such as drowsiness, confusion, neurological deterioration, and/or gait disturbances (Hufschmid et al., 2010). As for question 2, I came across an interesting case study by Jiten and Lacour (2012) wherein the patient’s primary complaint