A New Jersey woman said doctors wrote off the early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) at first — and she hopes her story can help others catch the devastating disease early.
Angelina Cubero, 27, of Jersey City, was diagnosed with the disease three years ago at the age of 24 — but it’s been a long time. Like many people with MS, it took months of uncertainty, trips to the emergency rooms, and passing between doctors before it was sealed.
Her symptoms of brain fog, frequent migraines, persistent pain and numbness in the legs have been written off from anxiety for years. Now, you want others who may have MS to be screened.
Angelina Cubero (pictured), 27, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 24 after an MRI found lesions and other damage in her brain and spine
Ms. Cubero said she had previously told doctors she had brain fog, leg numbness and tingling, and migraines but that doctors had written off her symptoms.
An autoimmune disease sees the immune system mistakenly attack the protective coating of the brain and spine – slowly shutting down the body’s communication systems.
I’d go to the doctor, go to the emergency room, go to urgent care, go to my primary doctor, go to a specialist, another specialist, and never really get any answers,” Ms. Cubero told Good Morning America.
They’d say, ‘You look fine. Don’t look sick. All of your tests seemed normal to me. … The only reason they told me was anxiety.
Finally, an MRI scan she received in 2020 revealed multiple lesions and plaques in her brain – suggesting she had MS.
She said she had never heard of the disease before finding out she had it.
“I had to do my own research to find out what MS was, and that was scary,” she said.
It is estimated that one million Americans suffer from MS National MS Society. This disease is also responsible for about 20,000 deaths annually in the United States.
It develops when the immune system begins to attack the body’s myelin — a protective layer around major parts of the central nervous system, such as the brain and spine.
Over time, the nervous system begins to collapse. This causes the person to slowly lose motor function throughout the body.
Many patients will become partially or completely paralyzed after fighting the disease for many years.
Other symptoms included seizures, vision problems including blindness, mental health problems and cognitive decline.
Although it may seem small, symptoms usually start between the 20s and 40s. It may take time before doctors diagnose it.
While Ms. Cubero’s symptoms were initially written off by doctors, each could be early signs that a person will soon suffer from the devastating condition.
But, each of these symptoms is also caused by many other factors, and may caution doctors against assuming the worst for common illnesses.
Here are the three warning signs, according to Ms. Cubero:
MS is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s internal protection from outside invaders begins to attack the myelin, the covering of the brain, spine and nerves that protects it from damage.
brain fog
Known as sudden bouts of confusion, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and decreased mental acuity, brain fog is a common symptom of MS.
Dubbed a “toothy fog” by people with MS, it can leave people losing hours of their time trying to complete simple tasks.
They may also have trouble remembering simple details about things they just did, such as what they ate for lunch.
It is caused by damage to myelin, which makes the brain and other parts of the nervous system vulnerable.
Over time, infection, injury, and disease will damage the brain.
When he suffers damage, lesions — or wounds — begin to appear on the brain. Detecting this damage on an MRI scan is usually the doctor’s first indication that someone has MS.
Numbness and tingling in the leg
Tingling and other sensations in the legs are among the most recognizable early symptoms of MS.
When the myelin that surrounds the nerves of the body slowly begins to deteriorate, a person’s nerves become damaged.
These nerves are responsible for transmitting information from the brain to the rest of the body.
When damaged, it may fail to transmit information properly. This leads to a tingling or numbing sensation – which occurs when a nerve becomes irritated or sends extra signals.
While these can occasionally happen to some people, such as after sitting on their leg for an extended period of time, doctors caution that a person who often experiences the sensations seek medical attention.
Migraines
Frequent migraines are a possible symptom of MS. While more than one in ten Americans suffer from headaches, WebMD warns Those with MS are twice as likely to experience it as their peers.
Doctors haven’t determined why people with MS experience these headaches. Previous studies have failed to establish a link between migraine and multiple sclerosis.
But some speculate that the disease affects how the body regulates hormones.
When the disease ‘flares’ — what doctors call when new symptoms of the disease begin to appear or old symptoms get worse — migraines are also more common.
(tags to translate) Daily Mail
