multiple sclerosis and ALS Flashcards
What is MS
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable often
disabling disease of the central nervous system
which is composed of the brain and spinal cord
*The disease attacks the myelin which
is a protective covering wrapped
around the nerves of the central
nervous system
how is ms diagnosed
- The history and neurological exam are the
mainstay of diagnosis in MS. - MRI and, very occasionally, lumbar puncture,
are tests that may be useful in confirmation
when a diagnosis of MS is suspected
what causes MS
- While the exact cause of MS is not known,
current research increasingly points to a
complex interplay of environmental and possibly
genetic risk factors
who gets MS
-can occur at any age. It
is usually diagnosed between the ages of
15 to 40.
* MS is three times as likely to occur in
women than in men
* MS is seen most commonly in people of
northern European background.
Does MS change over time
*Most people (about 80-85%) are diagnosed
with the relapsing-remitting form of MS.
* Over time, from 50 to 70 % of people
originally diagnosed with relapsing remitting
MS will convert to secondary progressive MS,
and will slowly accumulate disability
what is ALS
is an always fatal neurodegenerative disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles. People with ALS lose their ability to walk, talk,
eat, and eventually breathe.
symptoms of ALS
Progressive loss of muscle control
ALS gradually prohibits the ability to:
* Speak
* Grasp objects
* Swallow
* Move
* Walk
* Breathe
what are the 2 types of MS
- relapse remitting (comes and goes)
-secondary progressive (accumulative disability) doesn’t go away
HCAs care for MS or ALS
-adls
-providing emotional support
-nutritional support
-positoning (semi-fowlers)
mobility support (wheelchairs)
signs and symptoms of MS
-muscle weakness
-muscle stiffness and spasms
-numbness and tingling
-dizziness (loss of balanace
-blurred vision
-bladdder and bowel problems
-take longer to read or understand information
