Multiple Sclerosis + Original Articles

Sure, cigarettes can do damage to your heart and lungs. But did you know lighting up can take a toll on your mind as well? You're probably well aware that smoking is a significant risk factor for lung cancer and other serious diseases. But did you know it also takes a toll on your brain function? In developing countries, tobacco use is the single largest cause of premature death and memory impairment, which is shown to predict dementia.

While some find relief from this ancient form of Chinese medicine, more research is needed to determine its true benefits. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the brain and spinal cord. It can also cause numbness, cognitive impairment, muscle spasms, depression, and visual and speech problems. Oftentimes, patients seek pain management strategies in addition to traditional drug therapies.

Here are actionable steps you can take to deal with this common symptom of multiple sclerosis. Disturbed sleep, depression, symptom flare-ups, overheating, and normal, everyday activities all contribute to the fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis. There are steps you can take in almost every area of your life to help combat these feelings of extreme exhaustion.

Thanks to TV ads erectile dysfunction is no longer under the covers. Still, misconceptions remain. Learn what causes impotence and ways to reduce your risk. Between 15 and 30 million men suffer from some form of impotence or erectile dysfunction. At first glance this range seems wide, but it's due to the fact that some health professionals use the term "impotence" to include a host of sexual problems in men—not just the total inability to have or maintain an erection.

Mind over matter: You've heard it so many times, it may seem meaningless. But new research shows how emotional therapy helps to make pain symptoms easier to bear. Can mind-power reduce power chronic pain has over you? Experts say it can and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is among the best keys to do it.    What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?   The National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists defines CBT as "a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do.

Chronic disease changes lives and not just for the patient. Sometimes, caregivers of patients with physically debilitating diseases like multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and arthritis let their dedication stand in the way of taking care of themselves. Chronic disease changes lives and not just for the patient. Sometimes, caregivers of patients with physically debilitating diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), fibromyalgia, and arthritis let their dedication stand in the way of taking care of themselves.

People connect with friends and family through social activities and community events, sports and family gatherings. When it hurts to be active, however, it's hard to stay connected. Read on to break free from pain's captivity. People connect with friends and family through social activities and community events, sports and family gatherings.  When it hurts to be active, however, it's hard to stay connected. Friendships slip away and family members burn out. Chronic pain has a huge impact on people's social lives and often leaves them isolated, lonely and feeling socially rejected.

Now that the sun is making an appearance, don't let pain keep you indoors. Indulge in these easy, pain-friendly, outdoor activities to let you enjoy your day in the sun. Now that the sun is making an appearance, don't let pain keep you indoors. We've got four easy outdoor pain-friendly activities to let you enjoy your day in the sun. 1. Walk. Nothing's better for sore joints, achy muscles and overall health and well-being than walking.

The Web offers many options for staying connected and keeping loved ones updated on your or your family member's health issues. These methods are fast, easy, and efficient, and you'll know your support network is right there with you as a part of your journey. When Jennifer Wilson Cooper learned she had ovarian cancer, she launched a blog as a way to share her story with others and to make it easy for friends and family to keep up with her progress. Little did she know she'd quickly-and dramatically-expand her circle of friends (you can follow Cooper's journey on her blog, Four Seeds, which is featured in Quality Health's free cancer newsletter and on the QualityHealth.

In people with autoimmune disease, the immune system malfunctions and the body mistakenly attacks its own cells, causing a host of symptoms. See what people are saying about this article on our Facebook page! One might say that autoimmune diseases are cases of mistaken identity. In healthy people, the immune system works the way it should, by keeping out invaders such as viruses and bacteria.

According to a study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 2010 Annual Meeting migraines are seen in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) more often than in women without. What's the link? Read on to find out. See what people are saying about this article on our Facebook page! Millions of women suffer from migraines. Millions more have multiple sclerosis. New research indicates there might be a connection between these two conditions. According to a study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 2010 Annual Meeting migraines are seen in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) more often than in women without.

Recent study confirms pain relief benefits of marijuana. The first U.S. clinical trials in more than two decades on the medical benefits of marijuana confirm the herb is effective in reducing muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and pain caused by certain neurological injuries or illnesses, according to a recent report issued by Igor Grant, a psychiatrist who directs the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California-San Diego.

Did you know that your teenager’s weight today could affect her risk of getting multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life? Did you know that your teenager's weight today could affect her risk of getting multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life? That's the upshot from a study that was conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Scientists looked at women who had MS to understand how their weight as a teenager correlated with developing this disease in adulthood.

According to a recent study, having a baby may slow down the damaging effects of multiple sclerosis, a serious autoimmune disease. Researchers have made some startling findings: according to a recent study, having a baby may slow down the damaging effects of multiple sclerosis (MS), a serious autoimmune disease. Multiple Sclerosis is a disorder in which the body's own defense system attacks myelin, the protective fatty substance that surrounds nerve fibers in the central nervous system.

Researchers have discovered that those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of developing conditions such as arthritis, chronic renal, disease, and even multiple sclerosis. If you have one chronic inflammatory condition, are you more prone to develop others? According to two studies published in the journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, Gastroenterology, the answer may be yes. The separate British and...

Other illnesses have similar symptoms to fibromyalgia, which can lead to misdiagnosis and treatment. Learn how to tell the difference. Fibromyalgia is notoriously difficult to diagnose, even though it affects about 10 million Americans. The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) describes it as a complex chronic pain disorder. Unfortunately, there are currently no clinical tests to diagnose the condition and the NFA reports that it may take as long as five years for a patient to get a formal diagnosis.

When it comes to multiple sclerosis (MS), false assumptions abound. Here, we separate fact from fiction. Also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminate, multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 400,000 Americans, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). The condition causes the immune system to attack the central nervous system, and symptoms may include limb numbness, paralysis, or loss of vision.

Living with MS can be a challenge, but these tips can help make it easier. Fatigue, numbness, and depression are just a few of the common symptoms of MS, making even daily tasks a challenge for some sufferers. The good news: Most people with MS can learn to cope with the disease and continue to lead satisfying, productive lives, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMMS).

Could you have multiple sclerosis (MS)? Learn how to spot the most common symptoms. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), as many as 400,000 Americans are living with multiple sclerosis (MS), and nearly 200 people are diagnosed with the disease each week. MS is classified as an autoimmune disease, meaning the body's own defense system attacks the central nervous system, with resulting symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

After getting no answers from doctors about her severe pain, numbness, and tingling, Karen Calvert finally discovered the cause of her problems: multiple sclerosis. Learn about her courageous journey. Karen Calvert, a retired educator, wife, and mother of two in Columbia, South Carolina, discusses her frustrating and agonizing journey with multiple sclerosisand explains how family, friends, and faith have kept her going. My life was very full and active.