What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
It is a disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). In people with MS, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath, the insulating brain and spinal cord nerve layer. This damage to the protective coating of nerve cells leads to decreased nerve function as messages between the brain and body slow.
It is estimated that 1 million Americans are living with MS (Source: National Multiple Sclerosis Society). People with the condition commonly experience restrictions in mobility and daily functional ability, and many rely on caregivers from a home health aide agency to assist at home, especially as the need for care increases. In fact, 30% of people with MS require some level of home care to create a supportive living environment (Source: National Institutes of Health).
MS as an Autoimmune Disorder
It is autoimmune; this signifies the immune system attacks one’s own cells, tissues, and organs by mistake. The immune system typically creates proteins known as antibodies that protect the body against threats like viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, and toxins. However, antibodies cannot distinguish between harmful invaders and healthy cells in an autoimmune condition. These antibodies, consisting of B and T lymphocytes, are directed against healthy body tissue.
Of the 80 known autoimmune disorders affecting 50 million Americans, MS impacts the brain and spinal cord (Source: National Health Council). Related autoimmune inflammatory diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), lupus, psoriasis, and type 1 diabetes (Source: American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association).
Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
MS causes the breakdown of the myelin sheath, the protective covering of nerves. Nerve damage from interrupted brain-body communication can cause multiple problems, including numbness, weakness, difficulty walking, and vision loss. No cure exists for MS. However, treatments like steroid medicine, disease-modifying therapies, and plasma exchange can slow progression and help patients manage symptoms.
Symptoms of MS depend on the individual, and where and to what degree the nervous system is damaged. While disease progression varies widely, the most common symptoms include:
· Numbness or tingling sensations
· Trouble with coordination
· Difficulty walking or complete inability to walk
· Vision problems often occurring with pain
· Double or blurry vision
· Vertigo (dizziness)
· Fatigue or weakness
· Tremors (shaking or trembling movements)
· Bladder and bowel problems
· Sexual dysfunction.
Home Care for MS
Care from the comfort of home can drastically improve the lives of patients with MS. Caregivers are trained to help individuals and their families live with MS. They provide support to patients living with the physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms of MS in several essential ways.
Companionship
MS can affect emotional well-being, contributing to depressive and anxious feelings and difficulty with memory. Home health aide agency caregivers offer key emotional support and companionship through social interaction. This can meaningfully improve the patient’s mental health by reducing isolation or alienation.
Nutrition
People with MS may have trouble with swallowing. This can make it substantially more difficult for them to maintain a balanced, healthy diet. Caregivers can support these patients by assisting with meal preparation, cooking nutritious meals, and monitoring changes in their clients’ eating habits to ensure proper nutrition to support overall health.
Home Modifications
Maintaining home safety is key to remaining at home with a condition like MS. Home health aide agency care providers can ensure a safe living environment by arranging furniture or regularly used items in accessible ways or completing home chores that would otherwise be difficult for the patient to perform independently. This will naturally reduce the risk of falling or accidental injury.
A Final Note
MS is a condition of autoimmune origin that affects the CNS. The disease’s progressive nature can significantly impact patients’ quality of life. However, care from a home health aide agency is a viable way for life quality and health outcomes for people with MS while also allowing them to remain home and in their communities.
