Multiple Sclerosis Life Expectancy

By admin

According to experts, multiple sclerosis life expectancy may depend on the type of multiple sclerosis and the severity of the condition.

Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

For multiple sclerosis, the age of onset is broad and this range from 20 to 40 years. About 10% of multiple sclerosis patients usually experience chronic progression with the absence of relapses. This is usually known as the primary progressive condition where the symptoms accumulate gradually overtime. Once the new symptoms and discrete attacks occur, this is considered as the relapsing form of multiple sclerosis. Symptoms may go away between two consecutive attacks but this may result to permanent neurological problems, especially if the condition is in its advance stage. Most multiple sclerosis patients do not become disabled severely but you should know that such condition could definitely affect the quality of life.

Unfortunately, there are no cures available for multiple sclerosis and suicide rates have increased than average. After an episode or an attack, doctors will usually try their best in order to prevent the recurrence of the episode in the future and lower the risk of having a disability. Multiple sclerosis prognosis depends on the patient’s age, overall physical and mental health, age, type of multiple sclerosis and the specific symptoms, early stage symptoms, degree of disability and the frequency of the attacks. Multiple sclerosis progression in a particular individual cannot be exactly as predicted. However, it was observed that the patient’s life expectancy is almost the same as the rest of the population.

Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Those who are suffering from remitting or relapsing multiple sclerosis pass to the secondary progressive stage of the condition, which is usually between 6 to 10 years after the first onset of the disease. During this phase, gradual worsening of the condition is noticed between relapses. With the studies conducted recently, it can be said that after 10 years, almost 50% of individuals suffering from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis may develop secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and in 25 to 30 years, this may grow to 90%. Generally, the condition may take 30 years or more before it reach its final stage.

Aggressive Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is considered as aggressive multiple sclerosis when the condition progresses rapidly from its onset and leads to severe disability in a short span of time. Aggressive multiple sclerosis may result to death in just a few weeks. Fortunately, this type of multiple sclerosis is very rare. Acute aggressive multiple sclerosis may result to an immediate death. Multiple sclerosis is not fatal and the symptoms may not usually lead to death. However, the condition may affect various systems of the body, thus causing these symptoms to become susceptible to infection like pneumonia, thus shortening multiple sclerosis life expectancy in the affected individual.