Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Guidelines

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Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological disease in young adults, according to the National Institutes of Health.  Multiple sclerosis treatment guidelines are set in order to treat acute attacks, prevent relapses and the progression of the disease, manage symptoms, and manage rehabilitation.  Since the disease can range from being relatively benign to disabling or devastating, multiple sclerosis treatment will vary from person to person.

Unless an attack is mild, the multiple sclerosis treatment guidelines call for 1000 mg of methylprednisolone given intravenously for three days.  However, protocols may differ between clinicians.  Sometimes patients will be prescribed oral doses of prednisone for two or more weeks to taper them off of the treatment.  Patients are usually not admitted into a hospital unless their problems are severe.

The progression of the disease and the severity of relapses have been shown to be decreased by new drugs since the mid-1990s.  One of these disease modifying drugs is interferon beta-1b, which is recommended in the 2007 multiple sclerosis treatment guidelines for treatment of the disease.  Interferon beta-1a and glatiramer acetate are also included in these guidelines.

One in four of the patients who receive interferon beta-1b or subcutaneous interferon beta-1a will develop antibodies against the drug within two years.  The same is said for one in twenty who receive intramuscular interferon beta 1-a.  If these antibodies are present after two years of treatment, the patient will be switched to glatiramer acetate.  If there are no antibodies present, no further test are needed.

 

The Management of Symptoms

 

Many of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis are manageable. Pain and spasms of the limbs usually respond to baclofen, while the emotional manifestations of the disease, such as pathological laughing or crying, can be managed with a tricyclic antidepressant.  Fatigue is reduced in roughly half or the patients with the treatment of amantadine.

Symptoms which are more difficult to manage include pain, weakness, sexual dysfunction, dysesthesia, tremor, and cognitive changes.  Various therapeutic approaches are used in the treatment of these.

Complementary and alternative medicines have not been thoroughly tested through randomized clinical trials, but three out of four patients with multiple sclerosis use these techniques.  Often they visit these types of practitioners more than they do their doctors.  Funding for research for these types of treatment is available, but it is not fully utilized because scientific interest in them is low and trials are difficult to design.

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MS Illness

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MS illness is a chronic condition.  It is a disease of the central nervous system which has been diagnosed in 350,000 people in the United States alone.  This neurological illness is mysterious, according to EmergingWorlds.com, because MS illness is commonly found in Canada, United States, South America, and Europe.  MS is nearly unknown near the equator, the reason why is currently unidentified.

Although the true cause of multiple sclerosis is unclear, some think that a virus such as HHV6 may provoke the illness.  It seems that genes, stress, and an immune system imbalance also influence a person’s likelihood of developing the illness.  Some viruses have been known to cause demyelinating (destruction of the myelin, a fatty sheath that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers) in humans and animals.  Yet, no evidence has been found linking any one virus to the autoimmune reaction which seems to be the process responsible for the development of the MS illness.

 

Signs and Symptoms of MS Illness

 

Symptoms differ from one person to the other in MS.  Some people experience very mild, non-disabling symptoms, while others suffer severe attacks followed by long periods of recovery.  Some of the most common symptoms include:

  • Fatigue
  • Loss of coordination
  • Muscle weakness
  • Numbness
  • Slurred speech
  • Visual difficulties

In mild cases of MS, however, a person may only experience bladder or bowl problems, sexual dysfunction, and/or muscle cramps.  Depression is also frequently found in people with MS.  Stress and pregnancy have also been known to trigger MS illness attacks.  Viral infections have also been known to cause relapses.  Overall, multiple sclerosis relapses are often unpredictable and occur without warning or without any obvious inciting factor, states Wikipedia.org.

Recently, seven disease-modifying treatments were approved for the treatment of MS illness.  These include interferon beta-1a, interferon beta-1b, glatiramer acetate, mitoxantrone, natalizumab, fingolimod, and teriflunomide.  All of these medications have been found to decrease the number of attacks in relapsing-remitting MS.  Further studies about their long-term effects are still needed.  Mitoxantrone has been shown to be effective in the progressive stages of the disease.Many people with MS use complementary and alternative treatments in the management of their MS illness.  Some of the most common examples include:

Dietary regimen – The Swank Diet is commonly used in the management of MS.  It is a diet which is low in saturated fat, which was first introduced in 1948 by Dr. Roy L. Swank.  In the diet, saturated fat should not exceed 15 grams per day, unsaturated fat should be kept to 20-50 grams per day, no red meat should be consumed for the first year and afterwards 3 oz. per week should be the maximum.  A multi-vitamin and mineral supplement should be taken daily, along with a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.  Foods which cause allergies should also be avoided.

Herbal medicine – Medical cannabis, for example, is often used in the treatment of a MS illness.

Hyperbaric oxygenation – This treatment uses oxygen at a level higher than that of atmospheric pressure.  Although it was first used in the treatment of decompression sickness, it has shown great effectiveness in conditions such as gas gangrene, carbon monoxide poisoning, as well as some possible value in the treatment of cerebral palsy and MS.

Helminthic therapy – Helminthic therapy is sometimes used in the treatment of immune disorders by means of a deliberate infestation of a helminth, or a parasitic worm such as a hookworm.

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Cure For Hives

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If you ever have had hives, you know how important a cure for hives can be. Nothing itches worse than a full blown case of hives. We will look at what hives are and the different causes are known to be. We will also look at some of the various types of cures.

What are Hives?

Hives are when your skin breaks out in small light red bumps very suddenly. They are usually an allergic reaction to foods, medicines, or some other reasons. We will further discuss the causes for hives later. These allergy hives can make you itch, sting, or burn.

The breakout can occur anywhere on the body even your face and lips. The itching is what drives all people with hives to search out a hives treatment. Hives can itch bad enough to drive you up the wall. The main thing with finding the right cure though is not just the itching, but to get rid of the hives too.

What are Hives Caused From?

Hives can be caused by numerous things including food allergies, animal dander such as with cats, bites from insects, medications, pollen, emotional stress, extreme exposure to sun or the cold, an excess of perspiration, certain illnesses, and some infections. The symptoms are usually itching or swelling of your skin with welts that are either red or skin tone.

How to Cure Hives

One way to cure hives is locating what is causing them and then quit eating or doing what the cause it. In the meantime though you may need some help with the symptoms. There are various ways to go about treating these outbreaks. We need to examine some of the many types of hives treatment that is available to you today.

One of the main ways that doctors deal with hives is to prescribe antihistamines for you to take. Most of which make you very drowsy. The antihistamines help you quit itching while the hives go away. But the drowsy side effects can make it hard for you to get through your daily routine. You just want a nap!

Another cure for hives is messy creams and ointments that you have to apply. These are fine for getting rid of the itch, but they could come off on your clothes. Again, some of these can have side effects if you have to use them more than a few days.

Luckily today, there are many natural cures can be found for the hives. A natural cure for hives is gentle to your system and gives off now side effects. It does not matter whether you have contacted hives or other types of hives, 100% natural cures will be effective and safe to use.

I think after reading this information you can see how much a natural cure for hives will benefit you. Search the Internet to see how many of these natural cures are available to you today. You will be very pleased you this way to get rid of your itchy problem.

Hives (Urticaria) Symptoms, Causes and Natural Treatment

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The causes of Hives (urticaria):

The Major cause of the hives is the body’s reaction to an external or internal irritant. The internal irritant is usually the chemical agents present in the food that we consume and the external irritants can be certain chemicals that comes in contact with the skin.

In response to that irritant the skin releases different chemicals like histamine which causes inflammation and itching. Irritants includes different foods such as eggs, milk, nuts, fish and shellfish, berries, chocolate and tomatoes other irritants may include cosmetics, medications, insect stings, products, infections, chemicals, medical problems, and even exposure of cold and heat. Most the hives patient claim and get rashes due to eating foods like dairy products, berries chocolate, or may stung by insects or due to intake of medications. The other rare causes of urticaria are alcohol, tobacco and coffee. Sometimes even continuous exposure to sunlight and certain types of water can also cause this disease.

Hives (Urticaria) Symptoms:

The affected area of the skin becomes swollen, causing itchiness and pain. The symptoms of urticaria/hives are itching, red welts on the skin and itchy bumps on skin. Urticaria eczema is an erroneous terminology used for eczema, which is a form of dermatitis or inflammation of the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis).

Conventional Treatment for Hives

The medications that are responsible of hives are codeine and narcotic painkillers, vancomycin, anesthetics, antiepileptic medications, iodide, antibiotics such as sulfonamides and penicillins, inhibitors such as lisinopril and ramipril, angiotensin coverting enzymes, anti-inflammatory medications and acetylsalicylic acid. The triggers that are frequently associated with hives includes pregnancy, pressure from belts, straps, and elastic causing pressure urticaria, exercise, stress, and hot showers that are a cause of hives which are called cholinergic urticaria, swimming which can cause severe reactions and probably even more due to cold rather than the water, and friction. In pregnancy hives usually appears in late in pregnancy. Hives are also caused by dozens of infections such as stomach infection, genital infections, throat infections, urinary and tract infections, mononucleosis, hepatitis and fungal infections. In children common cold is often the cause of hives. The symptoms of hives are itching, red welts on the skin and itchy bumps on skin. The best treatment for hives is prevention. If a person notices the cause of the hives then in future a person can prevent it by taking precaution.

Natural and Alternative Medicine for Hives:

If the patient drinks nettle tea, it may relieve his throat. This tea can be made by stirring 2 teaspoons of powdered nettles into a cup of hot water and adding honey. Fresh lemon juice can be used if honey is not available. Patients can also apply calamine lotion on the affected area for soothing relief. Aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil have also been used to counter the effects of urticaria. Another way to relieve the itch is by bathing or dipping the affected area in warm water containing 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup baking soda.