How long do people with multiple sclerosis live?

What is multiple sclerosis?

In MS, the myelin sheath of the nerve endings in the central nervous system is affected.

Multiple sclerosis is a pathological process that occurs in nerve fibers. For some reason, they are attacked by immune cells. At the site of destruction of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerve fiber, scar tissue appears. The conduction of nerve signals is disrupted, disorders of the functional activity of certain organ systems occur, which is manifested by corresponding symptoms. Depending on which nerve fibers of the central nervous system are affected, multiple sclerosis can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

• movement disorders;
• muscle hypotension;
• disturbance of sensitivity, tingling, burning;
• urination and defecation disorder;
• vision problems;
• decreased intelligence;
• emotional instability and so on.

The disease is characterized by a chronic course with stages of remission and exacerbations, the duration of which depends on many factors.

Why the disease is dangerous: complications and consequences

A course without complications is impossible, because even despite treatment, multiple sclerosis tends to progress.

The development of complications during the course of the disease is inevitable, but depending on the severity of multiple sclerosis and the level of damage to brain structures.

So, what happens to the human body during multiple sclerosis, what does the disease lead to and what does it affect? Among the main complications are:

1. Paralysis, impaired walking function.
2. Damage to the sense organs - blindness, hearing loss.
3. Convulsive syndrome, epilepsy.
4. Intellectual and mental disorders - organic dementia, depression, asthenia, schizophrenia, psychosis.
5. Concomitant pathologies associated with physical inactivity (sedentary lifestyle) - congestive pneumonia, urinary tract infections.

Find out more about multiple sclerosis:

• about the first manifestations of the disease;
• forms and variants of flow;
• MRI diagnosis of the disease;
• pregnancy and childbirth in the presence of this disease;
• diseases that are very similar to MS.

Who is at risk?

Certain factors may increase your risk of developing MS

Life expectancy with multiple sclerosis, in most cases, depends on which organ system is affected by the pathological process. In addition, it is difficult to predict how the disease will behave in a particular case. The risk group includes patients in the following position or condition:

• age over 40 years (in young patients the disease progresses slowly, with remissions);
• female gender (in men, multiple sclerosis is diagnosed somewhat less frequently);
• clinical manifestations involve multiple organ systems;
• symptoms relate to the mental state (memory impairment, depression).

The risk group includes people who do not have a family. Lack of support and assistance from loved ones, especially in conditions of disability and loss of legal capacity, will lead to the fact that a person may even die from hunger or lack of necessary medications.

It is especially dangerous if the initial stage of multiple sclerosis develops at an older age. The disease progresses rapidly and leads to paralysis followed by a tragic outcome.

Multiple sclerosis often leads to disability

Complications of multiple sclerosis leading to death

How long people with multiple sclerosis live is largely determined by the complications that arise over time. These may include the following:

1. Cardiovascular pathologies. Low blood pressure, for example, can trigger an ischemic stroke or cessation of kidney function. If it is elevated (hypertension), the risk of hemorrhagic stroke increases.
2. Sepsis. If a person diagnosed with multiple sclerosis needs additional lung support, they will usually be placed on mechanical ventilation. In addition, in some cases it is necessary to insert a catheter into the bladder. The presence of a foreign body increases the likelihood of infection entering the body. A person's prolonged lying state can lead to the same outcome - congestion in the lungs contributes to the proliferation of microbes, which leads to inflammation.
3. Heart or kidney failure. The result of disruption of the innervation of the heart and kidneys is a disorder of the blood supply to these organs. The process of urine filtration slows down, toxic products of metabolic processes accumulate in the blood, which ultimately causes tissue poisoning.

With multiple sclerosis, life expectancy also depends on the degree of damage to the central nervous system. Deviations in the psyche with this disease become inevitable over the years, and the further the pathology develops, the more pronounced they are. In some cases, a person is able to harm himself by causing injury.

Prognosis, life expectancy statistics, mortality risks

The question of how long you can live with multiple sclerosis is quite relevant for patients. Disability of patients occurs within 5-10 years of illness , as they lose the ability to work, and subsequently to self-care. Life expectancy depends on the time of detection of the disease and its treatment.

With early detection and appropriate treatment, the patient will live only slightly less than his peers. If the disease is diagnosed in severe stages, the patient will live no more than 10-15 years. With the fulminant form of multiple sclerosis, the life expectancy of patients is no more than 5-7 years after diagnosis.

Death in MS occurs from the following diseases:

1. Heart attack.
2. Damage to the nerve fibers of the respiratory center of the medulla oblongata - the patient dies from respiratory arrest.
3. Extensive congestive pneumonia - the patient dies from respiratory failure.
4. Urinary tract infections with subsequent development of renal failure.

Changes in the meninges cannot by themselves lead to death . In all cases of early mortality in multiple sclerosis, the cause is a disease or syndrome that has become a complication of the underlying disease.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease whose progression can be slowed with early detection and proper treatment.

It is also necessary to work not only with the patient, but also with his relatives, since a progressive disease of the nervous system, especially at a young age, is a serious test. The patient needs support. It is important to explain to others that the disease is not contagious .

If close relatives have this pathology, it is necessary to protect the body from viral infections, take immunomodulators; if you have children under 14 years old, you may consider moving to a warmer climate.

Can treatment prolong life?

MS therapy is divided into relieving exacerbations and interval treatment

There are currently no therapeutic methods that make it possible to completely stop the progression of the disease or cure it. This is due to the fact that scientists cannot fully understand the mechanism of its occurrence. Despite this, it is quite possible to extend the life of a person with multiple sclerosis by improving his condition, which leads to an increase in the quality of life.

How long can people live with multiple sclerosis if they follow doctor's instructions? First of all, drug therapy helps with the slow-onset form of the disease. Regular medications, periodic examinations, good nutrition, provision of proper and constant care and other measures - all together this will help prolong life for up to 30 years from the moment the pathology is detected.

If the disease has an aggressive form, the patient can live no more than 3-5 years. Unfortunately, this type of pathology is practically not amenable to any therapeutic intervention.

How does psychological state affect life expectancy?

Patients who are hypersensitive to stress factors will live shorter lives than those who are resistant to unpleasant situations. In Europe and the USA, groups of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis are given special training in techniques to increase stress resistance. It has been noted that among those who have such skills, periods of remission last long, and new foci of destruction of nerve fibers form to a lesser extent or do not form at all.

Patients with multiple sclerosis need positive emotions

Another factor that affects the life expectancy of a person with multiple sclerosis is depression. As a rule, depression is a consequence of the disease - almost a quarter of patients suffer from it. The likelihood of suicidal thoughts and attempts increases sharply. Of great importance in this case is the attitude of the family or acquaintances towards the person, who must, at all costs, ensure and maintain a normal positive psychological attitude, preventing the appearance of despondency.

How can you prolong life with multiple sclerosis?

You can increase the life expectancy of a person with multiple sclerosis using the following measures:

• provide timely and correct treatment;
• prevent the occurrence of sepsis (for example, prescribe interferons);
• if the patient is bedridden, then it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive measures to prevent the development of pneumonia (massage);
• in case of inflammation, antibiotics are immediately prescribed;
• Maximum support and quality care from family or friends should be provided.

Thus, if a diagnosis of “multiple sclerosis” is made, how long they live depends to a large extent on the people around them. Moral support, purchasing medicine or a wheelchair, massage and walks in the fresh air will help prolong a person’s life for many years.

Personal experience “Do you like horror movies?”: How I live with multiple sclerosis

The injectable drugs that I am treated with are used constantly, without interruption. At first it was a medicine that was administered intramuscularly once a week. I remember flying to St. Petersburg for several weeks and taking with me three syringes with the drug - it’s a whole story, starting with the need for a cooler bag, and ending with a lot of sidelong glances and questions at the airport. Of course, I had a doctor’s certificate explaining what it was and what it was needed for. Now the injections are daily, and I can’t even imagine how, for example, to go somewhere on vacation for a couple of weeks. Despite all this, I am still afraid of needles. In addition, current injections are very inconvenient, they need to be done subcutaneously in the back of the shoulder, in the triceps area - and with one free hand it is simply impossible to pinch the skin fold and inject. The injections are given by my wife, who calms me down every time. She is very supportive of me. In general, the course of multiple sclerosis directly depends on the emotional background, and, by and large, I simply cannot be upset, sad, or cry - it could get worse.

The diagnosis has been given to me for life, and the treatment will also continue until the end - and yet, the prescription is valid for a month, and in order to receive it, you need to spend two full days. I'm not even talking about the hassle in the clinic, the time in queues - we have an excellent neurologist, but she cannot fully examine the patient and fill out all the paperwork in the twelve minutes that are officially allotted for this. A year and a half ago, we were promised that it would be possible to receive a prescription at least once every three months - but the situation is still the same. This is also reflected at work: not only am I regularly on sick leave, but I also spend two days a month getting medications.

I had depression three times, fortunately, not very severe - the doctors pulled me out without medication. The first time, the doctor strictly told me how to be treated and with what regularity to come - but most importantly, she forbade me to read about the disease on the Internet and draw any independent conclusions. That helped. The second time I came to a young neurologist, who suddenly said: “Irina, you always had such a beautiful manicure, what happened?” — I looked at my neglected nails and realized that I couldn’t do this anymore, it cheered me up. The third time I was prescribed antidepressants, but I did not want to take them and sought psychotherapy. The doctor formulated my attitude towards the disease as watching a horror movie. “Do you like horror movies? - he asked, and I answered in the negative. “But you came up with a horror movie for yourself, watch it endlessly and believe in it.” I realized that he was right and there was no need to invent anything and be afraid of the future.