{"id":8778,"date":"2020-03-11T08:00:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T13:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=8778"},"modified":"2020-02-28T16:54:30","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T22:54:30","slug":"unpredictable-ms-flare-ups-require-quick-personalized-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/unpredictable-ms-flare-ups-require-quick-personalized-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpredictable MS flare-ups require quick, personalized treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you get diagnosed with a serious disease, you have a lot of questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow will this affect my life?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow will this affect my family?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat comes next?\u201d<\/p>\n

But when faced with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, the answers to those questions can be complicated because the disease affects each person differently.<\/p>\n

Multiple sclerosis<\/a>, or MS, is an autoimmune disease that attacks the protective sheath that covers nerves. And it manifests in many different ways \u2013 including numbness, pain, fatigue, slurred speech or loss of vision \u2013 depending on which nerves are most affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach case is so different. It\u2019s not comparable to something like a fracture, where you can say, \u2018This is your recovery, and these are the steps you can take in order to get as much strength or function back as you can,\u2019\u201d said Alaine Robinson, supervisor of the MS Clinic at OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An unpredictable disease<\/h2>\n

While some people have progressive MS \u2013 a form of the disease in which symptoms intensify over time \u2013 most people have what\u2019s called a relapsing-remitting disease course. They can have weeks, months or years with little to no symptoms, interrupted by \u201cflare-ups\u201d of the disease.<\/p>\n

These flare-ups<\/a>, also called attacks or exacerbations, can come on suddenly, and no two are alike. One episode might be the onset of optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve causing changes in vision, while the next might bring difficulty chewing and swallowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cExacerbations can be brought on by a multitude of things. It can be an infection or even a life stressor,\u201d Alaine said.<\/p>\n

Because of the disease\u2019s tendency to affect so many different body parts and functions, symptom management can be complex.<\/p>\n

A comprehensive MS Center, OSF INI has implemented new processes to respond to the sudden onset of symptoms as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

Specialized MS care<\/h2>\n

\"MSLed by three fellowship-trained MS specialists<\/a>, the MS Center developed guidelines so nurses or navigators can start the process for changing or ordering new medications as quickly as possible. They\u2019ll even contact a person\u2019s insurance provider directly to get authorization for the medication before they even come into the clinic.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve also integrated multiple medical disciplines into their comprehensive MS exams, giving patients with uncontrolled symptoms one place to access all of the resources they need in a single appointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not just seeing your MS provider. You\u2019re seeing physical, occupational or speech therapy; you\u2019re seeing dietitian, social worker and a psychotherapist. We also work closely with our neuro-ophthalmologists and neuro-immunologists,\u201d Alaine said.<\/p>\n

With navigators to help with insurance or financial hardships and an MS Fund for charitable support, the team at OSF INI is committed to providing for each person\u2019s unique needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want you to know that we\u2019re here to support you, whatever you need,\u201d Alaine said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Managing multiple sclerosis can be difficult because symptoms are unpredictable. Seeing a specially trained provider can make a difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":8908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[884,755],"coauthors":[757],"class_list":["post-8778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-neurosciences","tag-multiple-sclerosis","tag-osf-ini"],"yoast_head":"\nMS flare-ups require quick, personalized treatment | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Managing multiple sclerosis can be difficult because symptoms are unpredictable. 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