Does MS cause facial changes?

While facial drooping is often a sign of other disorders such as Bell's palsy, Lyme disease, or even stroke, it may be an early sign of MS.


What does MS do to your face?

Trigeminal neuralgia, which is a type of chronic nerve pain in your face, is common with multiple sclerosis (MS). It may feel like a stabbing or burning sensation on the side of your face. People who don't have MS sometimes have trigeminal neuralgia, but it's more common with MS.

Does MS make your face feel weird?

Numbness of the face, body or extremities (arms and legs) is one of the most common symptoms of MS. It may be the first MS symptom you experienced. The numbness may be mild or so severe that it interferes with your ability to use the affected body part.


What is the most prominent symptom of MS?

Numbness of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is often the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed as having MS.

Can MS start in your face?

Numbness or Tingling

A lack of feeling or a pins-and-needles sensation can be the first sign of the nerve damage from MS. It usually happens in the face, arms, or legs, and on one side of the body.


McArdle Sign: A Specific Sign of Multiple Sclerosis



What are some unusual symptoms of MS?

Here are some of the less common, more surprising symptoms that you might not be aware of.
  • Vertigo. Many people with MS experience dizziness, in which you feel light-headed or off-balance, notes the NMSS. ...
  • Speech Disorders. ...
  • Difficulty Swallowing. ...
  • Itching. ...
  • Hearing Problems. ...
  • Tremors. ...
  • Headache and Migraine. ...
  • Breathing Problems.


What part of the body does MS affect first?

Visual problems are often the first symptoms associated with MS. The optic (eye) nerve can become inflamed (optic neuritis) as the optic nerve is a common area where damage to the protective covering of nerves (demyelination) occurs. More than half of people with MS will experience at least one issue with vision.

What are the red flag signs of MS?

There are lots of symptoms that MS can cause, but not everyone will experience all of them.
  • fatigue.
  • numbness and tingling.
  • loss of balance and dizziness.
  • stiffness or spasms.
  • tremor.
  • pain.
  • bladder problems.
  • bowel trouble.


What are the three most common early signs of MS?

Common symptoms include:
  • Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time.
  • Tingling.
  • Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign)
  • Lack of coordination.
  • Unsteady gait or inability to walk.


When should you suspect multiple sclerosis?

People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.

Can MS effect your eyes?

A common visual symptom of MS is optic neuritis — inflammation of the optic (vision) nerve. Optic neuritis usually occurs in one eye and may cause aching pain with eye movement, blurred vision, dim vision, or loss of color vision.


Does your skin change with MS?

While MS does not cause skin symptoms, some MS medications can cause skin symptoms, such as hives, rashes, and tingling.

What does MS pain feel like on face?

Trigeminal neuralgia: There is a facial pain syndrome known as trigeminal neuralgia which is more common in people with MS than in the general population. It is a sharp, electrical jabbing pain on one side of the face, usually in the cheek. It can be very severe, and lasts a few seconds. It may occur many times a day.

Does MS make you gain weight?

MS fatigue, steroid therapy, and depression can all lead to unwanted weight in people with MS. Though these factors are not your fault, you owe it to yourself to take control of your weight. Overeating can increase MS symptoms or health conditions, such as: fatigue.


Does MS cause puffiness in face?

Although demyelination may not directly cause facial swelling, people with MS may find themselves at a higher risk of facial swelling from the development of secondary diseases and the treatments they take to manage their MS.

Does MS affect you every day?

More than 50% reported limitations in daily activities due to fatigue, physical weakness, problems with balance/coordination, heat/cold sensitivity, memory problems, numbness/tingling, trouble concentrating, impaired movement/muscle stiffness, and impaired sleeping.

Does early MS show up on MRI?

MRI scans are an important way to help health care providers figure out if a person has MS or not, but MRI scans cannot diagnose MS by themselves. While it is true that almost all people with MS will have lesions on MRI, not all people with MRI lesions have MS.


Does MS show up in blood work?

While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.

What is the main cause of multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking the brain and nerves. It's not clear why this happens but it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

How do you rule out multiple sclerosis?

Tests for multiple sclerosis
  1. An MRI scan is a painless scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body.
  2. A lumbar puncture is a procedure to remove a sample of your spinal fluid by inserting a needle into the lower back.


How do doctors test for MS?

There are no specific tests for MS . Instead, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis often relies on ruling out other conditions that might produce similar signs and symptoms, known as a differential diagnosis. Your doctor is likely to start with a thorough medical history and examination.

Do I have MS checklist?

Vision problems, like blurred or double vision. Dizziness and a lack of coordination. Trouble walking, feeling unsteady, a loss of balance.

Does MS come on suddenly or gradually?

Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days. These attacks or relapses of MS typically reach their peak within a few days at most and then resolve slowly over the next several days or weeks so that a typical relapse will be symptomatic for about eight weeks from onset to recovery. Resolution is often complete.


What does MS inflammation feel like?

These are painful sensations that can affect the legs, feet, arms and hands and feel like burning, prickling, stabbing, ice cold or electrical sensations. They can interfere with daily activities, sleep and overall quality of life. Pruritis (itching) is a form of dysesthesias and may occur as a symptom of MS.

What time of day are MS symptoms worse?

Spasticity is one of the most common MS symptoms, and often feels worse at night. This is because it can be aggravated by reduced movement, tight muscles and pain from other symptoms.