MS
is one of the most difficult conditions to forecast. The sense of uncertainty
- simply not knowing how things will be in the future - is often a serious additional
problem for people with MS and their families. MS varies a great deal from individual
to individual but, in time, people will often get to know their own MS.
Even then, it can still surprise them.
Factors that suggest a lower level of disease activity include:
- females
- people diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40
- a low rate of relapses
- complete recovery from first relapse
- extended intervals between first and second relapse
- Optic Neuritis
as an early symptom
- symptoms which are predominantly sensory - things like numbness, tingling
- low disabialisty 5 years from the onset of the condition
- a small number of MS lesions
on an MRI Scan
As many as a third of people with MS have no or only
minor problems after 10 years. But it is impossible to say with any certainty
how each person's MS will develop.
