Multiple Sclerosis (Answers at Your Fingertips)

Contents......Page 6
Foreword by Simon Gillespie......Page 11
Foreword by Chris Jones......Page 12
Acknowledgements......Page 13
Introduction......Page 14
HOW YOU MIGHT USE THIS BOOK......Page 15
1 | What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?......Page 18
HOW MANY PEOPLE GET MS, AND WHO ARE THEY?......Page 26
TYPES OF MS......Page 32
THE COURSE OF MS......Page 37
3 | Genetic and environmental factors in MS......Page 42
GENETICS......Page 43
CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER DISEASES......Page 45
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS......Page 50
DIET......Page 52
WHY ME? IS IT MY FAULT?......Page 53
4 | Diagnosis of MS......Page 56
HOW WILL I KNOW?......Page 57
TESTS......Page 60
RECEIVING THE NEWS......Page 72
CONDITIONS SOMETIMES CONFUSED WITH MS......Page 75
5 | Symptoms of MS......Page 77
6 | Relapses......Page 82
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF RELAPSES......Page 89
7 | Principles of management in MS......Page 92
CARE OR CURE?......Page 93
THE TWO-STAGE MODEL......Page 96
MONITORING PROGRESS......Page 98
8 | Conventional disease-modifying drugs used in MS......Page 100
THE BENEFITS OF DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUGS......Page 101
SIDE EFFECTS......Page 117
IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUGS......Page 121
NON-LICENSED DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUG TREATMENTS......Page 124
9 | New disease-modifying treatments used in MS......Page 127
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES......Page 129
OTHER POTENTIAL DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUGS......Page 136
POTENTIAL ORAL (TABLET) TREATMENTS......Page 137
MEDIA HYPE......Page 141
TYPES OF RESEARCH......Page 143
GENETICS......Page 145
CLINICAL TRIALS......Page 146
POTENTIAL TREATMENTS FOR SYMPTOMS......Page 150
CANNABIS-BASED MEDICINES......Page 152
STEM CELL THERAPY......Page 156
11 | Complementary therapies and MS......Page 159
WHERE TO GO......Page 160
DIFFERENT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES......Page 162
MANAGING BLADDER PROBLEMS......Page 169
PROBLEMS WITH THE BOWELS......Page 174
13 | Pain, sensations, cramps and spasticity......Page 177
NERVE PAIN......Page 178
ALTERED SENSATIONS......Page 184
CRAMPS AND SPASTICITY......Page 189
FATIGUE......Page 191
COGNITIVE AND MENTAL PROBLEMS......Page 194
DEPRESSION......Page 198
15 | Mobility (including driving), balance and tremor......Page 202
BALANCE......Page 203
EXERCISES......Page 204
AIDS AND EQUIPMENT TO HELP WITH MOBILITY......Page 211
CHAIRS AND WHEELCHAIRS......Page 216
DRIVING......Page 217
TREMOR......Page 219
SPEECH......Page 221
EATING AND SWALLOWING......Page 223
DIET AND MS......Page 225
EYE PROBLEMS......Page 232
PROBLEMS WITH HEARING......Page 234
18 | Sexual function......Page 236
19 | Pregnancy and childbirth......Page 246
MS AND PREGNANCY......Page 247
AFTER THE BIRTH......Page 250
BREASTFEEDING......Page 251
EMPLOYMENT AND MS......Page 253
SOCIAL LIFE......Page 257
FINANCES......Page 260
SUPPORT......Page 264
RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARTNERS......Page 269
RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN......Page 272
BEING A CARER......Page 281
22 | Other relationships......Page 283
RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDS......Page 284
RELATIONSHIPS WITH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS......Page 286
| Appendix 1 Useful addresses......Page 309
| Appendix 2 Further reading and useful resources......Page 323
| Appendix 3 The Revised McDonald Criteria......Page 328
| Appendix 4 ABN/NICE treatment guidelines......Page 331
| Index......Page 334