While there’s no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), hundreds of thousands of people in our country are diagnosed with the condition – as many as 400,000 individuals, in fact, and of that, 86% of MS patients note fatigue as the top symptom they’re experiencing. The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown; it is not a communicable disease or known to be hereditary, but elements that may come into play include the following:

• Gender – Women are affected more than twice as often as males
• Age – The majority of those with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 
• Geography – Most individuals with multiple sclerosis are living in temperate environments
• Ethnic background – Caucasians are at a heightened risk

It is thought that multiple sclerosis symptoms occur when an immune system attack impacts myelin, the protective insulation surrounding the nerve fibers of the central nervous system. For people with MS, myelin is destroyed and scar tissue may form. Some underlying nerve fibers are forever severed, and the damage exhibits in a number of places inside the central nervous system — providing the disease with its name.

While we’re waiting for a cure, there are a variety of treatment methods currently obtainable to help. Drugs can change the disease course, treat relapses, and manage symptoms, improving quality of life and comfort for individuals with MS. These medications for MS include:

Disease Course Modification:

• Injectable medications for MS such as interferon beta 1a and 1b, glatiramer acetate, and peginterferon beta 1a
• Oral medications such as teriflunomide, fingolimod, cladribine, siponimod, dimethyl fumarate, and diroximel fumarate 
• Infused medications such as alemtuzumab, mitoxantrone, ocrelizumab, and natalizumab

Relapse Management:

• IV or oral corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone, prednisone, and ACTH

Symptom Management:

A wide range of medications can be prescribed to ease symptoms such as:

• Bladder dysfunction
• Bladder infection
• Bowel dysfunction
• Depression
• Dizziness
• Emotional difficulties
• Fatigue
• Itching
• Pain
• Sexual difficulties
• Tremors
• Walking difficulties
• And more

Additionally, a variety of non-medicinal therapeutic and technological developments may be helpful, as well as home health care services, which will make life more comfortable, easier, and safer for those with MS.

Harmony Home Health & Hospice, the leading at-home caregiver in Salt Lake City & the surrounding areas, is always on hand to develop a customized care plan to overcome any difficulties being experienced by an individual with MS. Our compassionate home health aides in Salt Lake City are fully trained and experienced in meeting a full range of MS care needs, as well as able to provide a variety of other specialty care services. Call us any time at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) for more information. To learn more about all of the areas we serve in Utah and New Mexico, please visit our Service Area page.