Helping Tips on Caring for MS Patients
MS is a an auto-immune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, affecting movement, balance and sometimes vision and incontinence. It can go into remission for years, and then appear again. Symptoms can be mild or cause serious disability.
Nobody knows why people get MS, but it’s thought to be a combination of genes and possible environmental factors. Unlike Parkinson’s (which has pretty high proof that agricultural chemicals could be a main cause), there is less evidence that environmental factors play a part in MS.
But possible reasons could be lack of vitamin D (sunlight) and amalgam fillings (both reduce immunity). Another possible risk is high consumption of cow’s milk (again due to reduced immune system – MS is more common in countries where people drink a lot of dairy).
Current treatment is usually steroid medicines and physiotherapy. MS is not fatal in itself, but some people die from complications like swallowing difficulties or infections of the chest or bladder, leading to reduced life expectancy of 5 to 10 years.
Simple Tips to Live Better with MS
Anyone with serious illness should claim entitled benefits (also for carers). This can considerably up your income (with back-pay up to 3 months in some cases). And then you also get other benefits (like free dental care, transport discounts, Radar keys and winter fuel allowance).
Regular exercises keeps limbs flexible, betters balance and increases muscle tone, for less chance of injury (exercise also helps with depression). Trained fitness coach Joe Wicks offers a 10-minute chair fitness work.
LaserCane beams a laser in your path, again to create an ‘obstacle’. this is pricey, so ask your GP (it costs the NHS than a hip replacement from a fall). Its sister produce U-Step is a safer zimmer frame, that won’t roll off and can glide over uneven surfaces. Both are on loan to hospitals.
StairSteady is an expensive (but more affordable) alternative to stair lifts. Invented by a student for her GCSEs, engineers fit quality handrails that lock in place. You can fold the handle away when not in use, and there are solutions for split stairs.
Switch Donations to Humane Medical Research
Most MS charities receive millions of pounds, and use it to carry out unkind, out-dated and ineffective experiments on innocent animals.
Instead, witch donations to humane research charities which fund boffins at universities doing wonderful work without animals, yet receive fewer funds and no government help. And more chance of a cure.
