Multiple Sclerosis in Seniors: Mental Health and Social Wellbeing Guide

\n Published: July 28, 2026 | Last Reviewed: July 28, 2026 | Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Sarah Mitchell, MD, Geriatrics | Reading Time: 5 min

Key Takeaways

What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?

What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?

What Are Exams and Tests?

How Is It Treated?

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an

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autoimmune disease

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that affects the

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brain and spinal cord

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(central nervous system).

\nWhat Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?\n

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Understanding multiple sclerosis seniors mental health social wellbeing is important for seniors and their caregivers. mS affects women more often than men. The disease is most commonly diagnosed between ages 20 to 40, but it can be seen at any age.

MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath of nerves. This sheath is the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve signals slow or stop.

\n $\"Myelin$ \n

The nerve damage is caused by inflammation. Inflammation occurs when the body’s immune cells attack the nervous system. This can occur along any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord.

It is unknown what exactly causes MS. The most common thought is that it is caused by a virus, a variant gene, or both. Environmental factors may also play a role.

You are slightly more likely to develop this condition if you have a family history of MS or you live in a part of the world where MS is more common (areas further from the equator).

\nWhat Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?\n

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Symptoms vary because the location and severity of each attack can be different. Attacks can last for days, weeks, or months. Attacks are followed by remissions. These are periods of reduced symptoms or no symptoms. Fever, hot baths, sun exposure, and stress can trigger or worsen attacks.

Nerves in any part of the brain or spinal cord may be damaged. Because of this, MS symptoms can appear in many parts of the body.

\n $\"Multiple$ \n

Muscle symptoms:

\nLoss of balance\n

\n\nMuscle spasms\n\n

\n\nNumbness\n\nor abnormal sensation in any area\n

\nProblems moving arms or legs\n

\nProblems walking\n

\nProblems with\n\ncoordination\n\nand making small movements\n

\n\nTremor\n\nin one or more arms or legs\n

\n\nWeakness\n\nin one or more arms or legs\n

Bowel and bladder symptoms:

\n\nConstipation\n\nand stool leakage\n

\nDifficulty beginning to urinate\n

\n\nFrequent need to urinate\n\n

\nStrong urge to urinate\n

\n\nUrine leakage\n\n(incontinence)\n

Eye symptoms:

\n\nDouble vision\n\n

\n\nEye discomfort\n\n

\n\nUncontrollable eye movements\n\n

\n\nVision loss\n\n(usually affects one eye at a time)\n

Numbness, tingling, or pain:

\n\nFacial pain\n\n

\nPainful\n\nmuscle spasms\n\n

\nTingling, crawling, or burning feeling in the arms and legs\n

Other brain and nerve symptoms:

\nDecreased attention span, poor judgment, and memory loss\n

\nDifficulty reasoning and solving problems\n

\n\nDepression\n\nor feelings of sadness\n

\n\nDizziness\n\nand balance problems\n

\n\nHearing loss\n\n

Sexual symptoms:

\n\nProblems with erections\n\n

\nProblems with vaginal lubrication\n

Speech and swallowing symptoms:

\n\nSlurred\n\nor difficult-to-understand speech\n

\nTrouble chewing and swallowing\n

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Fatigue

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is a common and bothersome symptom as MS progresses. It is often worse in the late afternoon.

📖 What Are Exams and Tests?

\nWhat Are Exams and Tests?\n

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Symptoms of MS may mimic those of many other nervous system problems. MS is diagnosed by determining if there are signs of more than one attack on the brain or spinal cord and by checking for other conditions.

People who have a form of MS called relapsing-remitting MS have evidence of at least two attacks separated by a remission.

In other people, the disease may slowly get worse in between clear attacks. This form is called secondary progressive MS. A form with gradual progression, but no clear attacks is called primary progressive MS.

Your health care provider may suspect MS if there are decreases in the function of two different parts of the central nervous system (such as abnormal reflexes) at two different times.

An exam of the nervous system may show reduced nerve function in one area of the body. Or the reduced nerve function may be spread over many parts of the body. This may include:

\nAbnormal nerve reflexes\n

\nDecreased ability to move a part of the body\n

\nDecreased or abnormal sensation\n

\nOther loss of nervous system functions, such as vision\n

An eye exam may show:

\nAbnormal pupil responses\n

\nChanges in the\n\nvisual fields\n\n

\nChanges in eye movements\n

\nDamage to the nerve in the eye (\n\noptic nerve atrophy\n\n)\n

\n\nDecreased visual acuity\n\n

\nProblems with the inside parts of the eye\n

\nRapid eye movements triggered when the eye moves\n

\n $\"MRI$ \n

Tests to diagnose MS include:

\nBlood tests to check for other conditions that are similar to MS.\n

\n\nLumbar puncture\n\n(spinal tap) for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests, including CSF oligoclonal banding may be needed.\n

\n\nMRI scan of the brain\n\n, or the spine, or both are important to help diagnose and follow the progress of MS.\n

\nNerve function study (evoked potential test, such as visual evoked response) is less often used.\n

📖 How Is It Treated?

\nHow Is It Treated?\n

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There is no known cure for MS at this time, but there are treatments that may slow the disease. The goal of treatment is to stop progression, control symptoms, and help you maintain a normal quality of life.

Medicines are often taken long-term. These include:

\nMedicines to slow the disease\n

\nSteroids to decrease the severity of attacks (more effective for relapsing-remitting form of MS than for other forms)\n

\nOther medicines are used to control symptoms such as muscle spasms, urinary problems, fatigue, or mood problems\n

The following may also be

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helpful for people with MS

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\nPhysical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and support groups\n

\nAssistive devices, such as wheelchairs, bed lifts, shower chairs, walkers, and wall bars\n

\nA planned exercise program early in the course of the disease\n

\nA healthy lifestyle, with good nutrition and enough rest and relaxation\n

\nAvoiding fatigue, stress, temperature extremes, and illness\n

\nChanges in\n\nwhat you eat or drink if there are swallowing problems\n\n

\nMaking changes around the home to\n\nprevent falls\n\n

\nSocial workers or other counseling services to help you cope with the disease and get assistance\n

\nVitamin D or other supplements (talk to your provider first)\n

\nComplementary and alternative approaches, such as acupuncture or cannabis, to help with muscle problems\n

\nSpinal devices can reduce pain and spasticity in the legs\n

📖 What Are Support Groups?

\nWhat Are Support Groups?\n

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Living with MS may be a challenge. You can ease the stress of illness by joining an

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MS support group

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. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.

📖 What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?

\nWhat Is Outlook (Prognosis)?\n

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The outcome varies, and is hard to predict. Although the disorder is life-long (

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chronic

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) and incurable, life expectancy can be normal or almost normal. Most people with MS are active and function at work with little disability.

Those who usually have the best outlook are:

\nFemales\n

\nPeople who were young (less than 30 years old) when the disease started\n

\nPeople with infrequent attacks\n

\nPeople with a relapsing-remitting pattern\n

\nPeople who have limited disease on imaging studies\n

The amount of disability and discomfort depends on:

\nHow often and severe the attacks are\n

\nThe part of the central nervous system that is affected by each attack\n

Most people return to normal or near-normal function between attacks. Over time, there is greater loss of function with less improvement between attacks.

📖 What Are Possible Complications?

\nWhat Are Possible Complications?\n

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MS may lead to the following:

\nDepression\n

\nDifficulty swallowing\n

\nDifficulty thinking\n

\nLess and less ability to care for self\n

\nNeed for\n\nindwelling urinary catheter\n\n

\n\nOsteoporosis\n\nor thinning of the bones\n

\n\nPressure sores\n\n

\nSide effects of medicines used to treat the disorder\n

\n\nUrinary tract infections\n\n

📖 When to Contact a Medical Professional?

\nWhen to Contact a Medical Professional?\n

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Contact your provider if:

\nYou develop any symptoms of MS\n

\nYour symptoms get worse, even with treatment\n

\nThe condition worsens to the point when home care is no longer possible\n

MS; Demyelinating disease

📖 What Are Patient Instructions?

\nWhat Are Patient Instructions?\n

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\n\nCaring for muscle spasticity or spasms\n\n

\n\nConstipation – self-care\n\n

\n\nDaily bowel care program\n\n

\n\nMultiple sclerosis – discharge\n\n

\n\nPreventing pressure ulcers\n\n

\n\nSwallowing problems\n\n

\n $\"Multiple$ \n\nMultiple sclerosis\n\n

\n $\"MRI$ \n\nMRI of the brain\n\n

\n $\"Central$ \n\nCentral nervous system and peripheral nervous system\n\n

\n $\"Myelin$ \n\nMyelin and nerve structure\n\n

\n $\"Nerve$ \n\nNerve supply to the pelvis\n\n

Calabresi PA. Multiple sclerosis and demyelinating conditions of the central nervous system. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds.

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Goldman-Cecil Medicine

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. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 380.

Fabian MT, Krieger SC, Lublin FD. Multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds.

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Bradley and Daroff’s Neurology in Clinical Practice

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. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 80.

Rae-Grant A, Day GS, Marrie RA, et al. Practice guideline recommendations summary: disease-modifying therapies for adults with multiple sclerosis: report of the Guideline Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Neurology.

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2018;90(17):777-788. PMID: 29686116

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pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29686116/

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Updated by: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

\n\nMultiple Sclerosis\n\n