Introduction and case analysis

Introduction and case analysis

The term physiological disorder is commonly used to refer to psychiatric or mental disorders. In this context, however, physiological disorders are health conditions and complications resulting from body organ malfunction and failure, eventually causing illness. Multiple sclerosis is one of the common physiological diseases affecting many prominent people, among them leaders, sportsmen, and celebrities. Selma Blair is a well-known film actor, and a famous figure in television shows that recently opened up about her health condition on a Press conference, revealing that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on CBC News.

The 46-year old actress recalls how she had been relapsing and cyclically remitting for months, especially after giving birth to her son in 2011. However, it was not until 2018 when doctors tested about 21 MS-related lacerations in her brain cells and diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis. The Good Morning America television show host Robin Roberts, who interviewed Blair on Vanity Fair Oscars testified to her diagnosis and the difficulties she was facing at home and work. Roberts told of how things fell from her hands, how she consistently lost directions in the studios and that she fell at times. Selma Blair has since been fighting MS and revealed that it had not been a comfortable journey. In her sigh of relief in memory of the doctor’s revelation to her condition, Blair encouraged people with such chronic diseases to join other patients in fighting their battles instead of giving up on themselves (Rangachari, 2015). Her case led to her change in roles in movies. Her producer Noreen Halpern says she had to switch from acting to directing from a desk because she was disabled and could not walk. She points out the immediate need to create awareness and educate the public on the signs, symptoms, and possible treatment and care for the illness (Dendrou, Fugger, & Friese, 2015).

The pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is the complicated degenerative and inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system. Even though its leading cause is not known, the condition is triggered when the immune cells invade the nervous system by mistake resulting in inflammation, neurodegeneration, and continuous damage of the tissue. These immune cells attack myelin sheaths causing inflammatory responses. This, in simple terms, means that the body’s defense mechanism mistakably attacks some parts of the brain, causing damage to the nerves, which in turn leads to CNS malfunctions and, consequently, spinal cord complications. Continued inflammatory immune-mediated attacks and responses damage neurological cells in the central nervous system. Recurrent episodes of these attacks cause plaque formation in the brain and, subsequently, the spinal cord was causing paralysis.

MS is a disorder that mainly affects young adults with particular genetic backgrounds following exposure to specific environmental antigens. Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which is the most common form of MS, begins with a foggy memory, shaky hands, and blurred vision, to relapses later on, as in the case of Selma Blair. Neurologic deficits develop into advanced symptoms with painful attacks that last the whole day. These attacks and the formation of plaques in the brain are diagnostic features of MS (Vazirinejad, Ahmadi, Arababadi, Hassanshahi, & Kennedy, 2014).

Multiple sclerosis; Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms are very distinctive, varying from one patient to the other. However, symptoms range from vision problems to pain and advance to mobility complications. One of the early signs of the disease, and that is very common in almost all of the patients, is a foggy memory. This can either be memory lapses or acute memory loss, as was the case of Selma Blair. By affecting the central nervous system, the disease adversely affects the optical nerves, which translates to vision problems. Secondly, these patients experience episodes of instability in terms of shaky legs while walking. Other patients diagnosed with this condition are reported to have memory lapses and loss of direction. Advanced levels of the illness further cause general body weakness or pain to some parts of the body. For instance, Blair reported weakness and pain, specifically in her left leg. She complained of an itchy pain from the knees down to her feet, suffering that lasted the whole day for the first semester of her diagnosis. With time, patients such as Blair experience a decrease in their sense of touch and pain in their limbs with episodes of staggering. One cannot walk, and things start falling off the hands as they start getting shaky. While some patients report mild pain and fatigue, others experience severe pain with loss of stability and eventually paralysis (Milo & Miller, 2014).

Additional symptoms of the disease include; sexual dysfunction, dizziness, numbness, fatigue, tingling, bladder issues, and other cognitive problems. In 2018, a survey by the National Society of Multiple Sclerosis declared that 40% of the patients examined were found to experience progressive speech problems as a result of brainstem lesions. Another 80% of the survey group was recorded to suffer fatigue and stiff backs because of the injuries in the spinal cord. In the long run, if the patients suffering from vision problems are not treated, they can suffer severe health conditions such as diplopia and permanent blindness. Advanced symptoms are reported to cause stress and depression in young patients. Selma Blair, for instance, recalls the stress she endured after the notion that she was paralyzed. This results from denial and patients giving up hope, hence the need to seek treatment from health specialists and consultation from psychiatrists and other mental professionals (Feinstein, Magalhaes, Richard, Audet, & Moore, 2014).

Treatment and care for patients suffering from the disease

It is important to note that there is no prescribed cure for multiple sclerosis. Treatment, therefore, focuses on pain reduction, minimizing the frequency of attacks, and speeding recovery. Some patients have been recorded saying that the type of treatment given is just meant to manage the symptoms and delay paralysis. However, some people suffer very mild symptoms that require no treatment; instead, a routine of physical exercises is efficient. Where patients work closely with their doctors, disease-modifying medicine, and a change in lifestyle can help (Saguil, Kane, & Farnell, 2014).

Disease-modifying drugs and brain stimulants are the primary prescribed remedy for the relapsing-remitting type of multiple sclerosis. These drugs help in pain reduction and slowing down the advancement of the disease from the brain to the spinal tracts. Once administered, the drugs work by altering the body’s defensive system to stop it from attacking myelin, which is the protective coating that surrounds the nerves. Beta interferon is the primary drug used for this purpose as they are very efficient in easing the severity of the disease and lowering the frequency of flare-ups. They lower the number of white blood cells weakening the immune system in an attempt to reduce the rate at which brain cells are attacked and damaged mistakably. In the course of an attack or relapse, a one-week dosage of steroids is prescribed by a physician to be taken as tablets at home. Where the deterioration is severe, and the patient has to be admitted, an MS nurse is allocated to give a 5-day medication of steroid injections at the hospital. Steroids enhance quick recovery from relapses, but they neither cure MS nor stop further declines in the future. Steroids are, however, short-term treatment for MS and cannot be taken for long periods as they have long term side effects such as osteoporosis, which is a condition of weight gain and weak bones.

Amantadine is the best medication to reduce fatigue caused by MS. Exercise, and fatigue therapy can also help. Physiotherapy, such as massage, is very helpful in improving stiffness and muscle spasms. Where medications such as tizanidine and dantrolene can cause side effects, physical exercise is recommended. In the case of sharp stabbing pain, antidepressants can be used for muscle relaxation. Mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walking sticks are remedial for paralytic patients. Also, men with MS and suffering from erectile dysfunction can benefit from sex therapies or prescription of sex boost medicine such as Viagra (Asano, 2014).

Thirdly, MS patients receive a lot of support and health tests from professionals and specialists. Neurologists, for example, are specialists in examining and treating complications of the nervous system and are therefore crucial in addressing MS. Therapies are an equally important form of treatment for this condition. Physical therapy and counseling can be very efficient in dealing with mental problems associated with the disease, such as stress and depression. The National Society of Multiple Sclerosis observed that 40% of the people who suffer this condition and do not seek counseling or any other therapy are more likely to commit suicide as opposed to those who seek therapy help (Giovannoni et al., 2016).

Conclusion

In summary, it is essential to know that after the diagnosis of MS, the doctor needs to examine the patient further to determine any other health condition before recommending therapy or treatment. Not all medications and disease-modifying therapies are suitable for all people suffering from MS as patients who don’t experience relapses do not benefit from them. However, clinical trials have made tremendous progress in the treatment of MS as they are safely conducted as compared with the usual ones. More importantly, patients with the disorder need to accept the diagnosis and start taking good care of their selves. If you are paralyzed and cannot cater to yourself, there is a need to take a care and support assessment with the local authority for external help. It is, therefore, everyone’s responsibility to help people with health complications such as MS as well as creating awareness on the same.