Here are a number of early MS 'warning signs' that can appear five years before getting diagnosed after Christina Applegate spoke out about her initial symptoms.
The 53-year-old Dead to Me star was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the summer of 2021 and has been really open about her health issues in order to help shine a light on MS by revealing that her symptoms dated back years before she actually knew what she was dealing with.
What were Christina Applegate's first symptoms?
Well, according to neurologist Dr. Paige Sutton, it is most important to look out for signs of a new inflammatory relapse.
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"Relapses are typically very obvious and would include new neurologic symptoms that are constant and last for more than 24 hours," she explains.
"Symptoms could include loss of vision/blurry vision in one eye, unilateral facial pain or numbness, vertigo, new weakness or sensory changes on one side or in both legs, or with walking."
In the Anchorman actor's case, she later revealed that she's struggled with her balance while filming a dancing scene on her Netflix thriller.
She also noticed her tennis skills weren't as good as they used to be, but she'd initially put this down to slacking on training.
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Dr Sutton - who specialises in neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis for OhioHealth - also emphasised the risk of a 'pseudo-relapse' happening when the body is placed under stress, which in turn causes symptoms to worsen.
What are 'pseudo-relapses'?
These 'pseudo-relapses' can be caused by things such as infection, lack of sleep, and emotional stress.
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"It is important to consider a ‘pseudo-relapse’ as the cause of symptoms if they are symptoms that have previously occurred during a relapse," Sutton said.
"We recommend that our patients notify their health provider for any new symptoms lasting more than 24 hours and we can help them determine whether it is something to be worried about."
Other neurologists also believe that the likes of urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder infections, depression and sexual problems could also indicate that someone is unknowingly suffering with MS.
Is there a cure for MS?
Experts seem to differ in opinion when it comes to Applegate's assertion that, the sooner a patient sees a medical professional about symptoms they believe could be MS, the better.
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This is essentially because the disease has an unknown cause, and therefore has no cure.
"There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better'." Applegate said of the hiatus. “And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time.”
Treatments for MS can also vary depending on the specific symptoms and difficulties of the patient.
"Of course, not everyone who has these symptoms will go on to develop MS," Dr Celine Louapre, of Sorbonne University in Paris, told press.
How did she find out about the diagnosis?
Applegate said she was originally able to 'brush off' her symptoms in 2021, until the time came to film the third season of Dead To Me, where she felt as though she'd been 'hit by a truck and didn’t know what was going on'.
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Speaking to Variety, Applegate said: "It was very scary for me, because this body that I had known was no longer mine. We had to kind of work around that until, finally, I had answers.
"I found that I had MS while we were shooting on a Monday. I went home, and the doctor said, 'I need to do this meeting with you'.
"I could feel that this Zoom was not going to be good news. It sucked, I’m not going to lie."
Following her diagnosis, production on Dead To Me shut down so she could receive treatment, but Applegate noted there was no getting 'better' for her.
Topics: Health, Christina Applegate, Celebrity
Rhiannon Ingle