Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system disease in which the brain cannot communicate with the body. This disease may cause the person to lose coordination, have trouble walking, have vision problems, and cannot hold or lift items. MS occurs when the person’s immune system attacks and destroys the protective coverings around the brain and spinal cord nerves.
The damage disrupts or blocks nerve communication. While MS can occur at any age, most people have symptoms between 15 and 60 years old. The cause of MS is unknown, but scientists are researching environmental factors, genetics, and viruses. Each person with MS may be affected differently. Here are five warning signs of MS. If you have these, tell your health care professional:

1. Balance problems
Feeling unsteady, clumsy, or dizzy is one indicator of MS. It can happen because messages between your eyes and inner ear are lost or disrupted. When nerves that convey messages between the brain and inner ear or eyes are damaged, the information is lost, and your balance is affected. In addition, muscle stiffness or spasms may prevent your muscles from responding to signals from the brain.

2. Bladder issues
Because of damaged nerves, bladder control issues are common for people with this disease. Their bladder may be overactive, making them feel they have to go to the bathroom often and urgently. Frequent trips to the bathroom at night can interrupt sleep. Some patients may lose bladder control. Nerve damage makes your body unable to detect that it is time to pee.

3. Cognitive problems
Many MS patients will experience cognitive problems. These may include difficulties with learning, decision making, memory, and planning. It is shared by about half of MS patients and is sometimes referred to as “cog-fog.” It is caused by damage to the myelin sheath of nerve cells and lesions in the central nervous system.

4. Vision problems
Problems with your eyes are common MS symptoms. These include experiencing double or blurred vision could be signs of MS. MS may disrupt the information pathway between your eyes and brain, affecting eye movement and preventing your eyes from working together. When you look at one object, you see two. They may be next to or on top of each other. Things may appear to shake or jiggle from involuntary eye movements caused by MS. In some cases, you may experience temporary loss of vision or pain in one of your eyes.

5. Numbness and spasms
One of the first signs of MS can be a lack of feeling, numbness, tingling, and muscle spasms. The numbness can happen in your arms, legs, face, or other parts of the body. Muscle spasms can also occur. Muscles may contract tightly, making movement difficult and painful. These are all signs indicating that nerve damag