Monday, September 27, 2010

Coping Techniques for People Suffering From Multiple Sclerosis

Having a chronic disease brings a host of changes in one's life and those of others who depend on you or interact with you on a regular basis. Once you receive a diagnosis, you would find that the symptoms are increasingly becoming more difficult. People are getting affected; you progress into something less able to function normally. And the condition gets worst. Your relationship with people, most of whom you love and care for, gets injured. On top of this, there are no known cures, only treatments that you hope will relieve the unpredictable symptoms. There may not be a lot you can do about it but there are some things that could ease your distress. One way of taking charge of multiple sclerosis is by knowing and practicing appropriate coping techniques.

Have a positive disposition.  It is hard to be hopeful knowing that there is a huge wall between you being sick and you having a normal life. But, it always pays to look at the brighter side of your condition. It is not a terminal disease and it's not contagious. That's a good start, isn’t it? Also, having a positive outlook lifts up huge chunks of burden from your breast and it makes you a lot more happy, a bit more hopeful and, in fact, a bit less sick.
Educate your family about multiple sclerosis  Or, encourage them to befriend the sickness. Much of the problem comes from your family's inability to cope with your disease. However, this can be remedied by enlightening them about the nature of your condition, what should be their expectations, what should be their attitudes about your symptoms. This way, they will know where you are coming from and they would be able to understand you better, if not, help you suffer less. 

Be like the children who have multiple sclerosis themselves . In the face of a chronic illness or disability, children seem to handle it much better than their adult counterparts. This is because they have great expectations about their future, they do not easily lose their grip on their hopes of becoming better. This attitude tends to protect them from the debilitation they are or will be experiencing. If an adult sufferer can take hold of this attitude or develop it, it would surely be beneficial. 
Don’t bother too much about the future.  Do not live in the future. By doing so, you will not have to be overpowered by fear of the future. This is the winning attitude of people who are triumphant against the disease. Just try to prepare and think about it but do not act like you have to control it.
Live one day at a time. Treat everyday like you are a perfectly normal human being. This would not prevent the relapse of symptoms for sure but it could help you get through the day without it being too overwhelming for you. 

Don’t nurse your pain. Because the symptoms are unpredictable and because they are often life-inhibiting, your best course of action against them is not to focus on them, though without compromising your needs for rehabilitation, therapy and treatment.

A patient's attitude often defines how well he can live through his sickness and the disabilities it causes. So get that positive attitude. With these coping techniques you can live a long healthy life with multiple sclerosis.


 Edward Pena is a successful network marketer that owns his own company and helps mentor people to be successful in mlm. To take advantage of his free advice, go to: MLMSuccess


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Facts Surrounding Multiple Sclerosis

There are plenty of things medical scientists, researchers, neurologists and physicians know about the nature of multiple sclerosis, but there are also plenty of other things that they do not know. In this article, facts surrounding MS are presented.

The disease is caused by the damages on the protective insulation or the myelin sheath of the neurons. This one thing is sure, the disease roots from an abnormal immune system response that damages the myelin sheath or the protective insulation of the neurons. It is not definite though what causes this autoimmune response.
It runs in the family – There are strong indications that this condition is determined by a specific genetic make-up. Research is yet to establish though which genes play the part in the expression of the disease. People who have relatives who possess this condition are twice more susceptible to the onset of multiple sclerosis than those who belong in the general population.

Women are at higher risk of developing the condition – Women are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop the condition. The reason for this is not definite though.
People who live in places at higher altitudes are more susceptible to the development of the disease. There are higher incidences of multiple sclerosis near the earth's poles than near the equator. Explanation for this is yet to be established. Nonetheless, researchers and scientist are entertaining the idea that environment may trigger the onset of the condition.

Multiple sclerosis is not fatal or contagious but it can definitely decrease life expectancy. The condition is capricious, yes, but it does not pose dangers to other people apart from those who have already developed it. Though it may not cause death, it may be instrumental to shorter lifespan.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that seems to have young adults as its main target. People who are aged between 20 to 50 years old oftentimes experience the onset of strange symptoms. And by the time they get older, they experience far more difficult symptoms that limit their capacity to function well.
Its symptoms are unpredictable.  It would be impossible for you to climb the stairs today but you could possibly run around the town tomorrow. You may not be able to close the car door properly today but you will be able to do the shopping tomorrow. You may feel great today but the next day, you would feel like you have been hit by a truck. Symptoms are just different each day.

Attacks of symptoms are different from one day to another and its severity and the level of debilitation it brings vary from time to time.  Symptoms may progress one day, health the next day. There are periods of bad days and good days which reflect the relapse, remission and progression in severity of the condition. It is the nature of the disease to manifest in various, oftentimes, dissimilar manners. 
 
People who suffer from multiple sclerosis live with the certainty that their condition is unpredictable - One day may be different from another and it is never certain whether today will be as bad or as good as the day following it. Because of these fluctuations in the characteristics of the symptoms experienced, people with this condition often find it hard to function normally, to plan for the future with a degree of decisiveness and to enjoy daily living.

 Edward Pena is a successful network marketer that owns his own company and helps mentor people to be successful in mlm. To take advantage of his free advice, go to: MLMSuccess