A neurologist answers the question of “Can you die directly from MS?”
Anyone who has ever known someone who was suffering from multiple sclerosis may wonder if this autoimmune disease can actually be fatal.
Some patients are bedridden from this illness.
Many need a wheelchair to get around.
Can Multiple Sclerosis Kill?
“The disease is not fatal,” says Karen M. Blitz-Shabbir, DO, a neuro-rehabilitation and multiple sclerosis specialist based in Islip, NY.
She explains, “Most patients have normal life spans. Patients with advanced disease and disability can develop infections or other complications that lead to death.”
Infections and complications are potential secondary outcomes of MS, but multiple sclerosis, in and of itself, is not a directly fatal condition.
MS Complication that Can Be Fatal
Excessive bed rest, from being bedridden, can lead to a blood clot in the leg.
In fact, confinement to a wheelchair raises this risk as well.
There is nothing about MS itself that causes blood to pool in the legs and clot up. It’s the inertia of the legs that lead to this.
The name of such a blood clot is deep vein thrombosis. Excessive time in bed, regardless of condition (recovery from surgery, pregnancy, depression, mobility impairment) is a risk factor for a DVT.
This is why anybody who is bedridden from multiple sclerosis needs to have their legs, particular the lower portions, checked daily for signs of a DVT.
A DVT can break loose from where it has formed and travel to the lungs, blocking airflow, resulting in death.
Symptoms of a DVT
• One leg is suddenly swollen.
• The leg may have a reddish discoloration.
• The leg may be unusually warm to the touch.
• The patient reports that it feels tender when touched.
• The calve area hurts or feels cramped up.
• These symptoms may also appear around and behind the knee.
People with multiple sclerosis whose mobility is significantly impaired should ask their doctor about blood clot prevention.
Dr. Blitz-Shabbir is also the medical director of rehabilitation with Holy Name Medical Center MS Center.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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