MS-Related Fatigue: Poor Sleep Is The Number One Contributor
New findings published in Frontiers in Neurology reveal that sleep disturbances significantly contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS)--related fatigue.
"Fatigue is detrimental to daily functioning and well being," Dr. Strober, an MS researcher at Kessler Foundation, noted in a news release. "It clearly interferes with a person's ability to participate fully in the community and the workplace. If we can determine what contributes to fatigue in MS, we can improve quality of life and keep people engaged in work and social activities. Routine screening for sleep problems and treatment of sleep disturbances may reduce fatigue and its debilitating effects."
This often disabling and unfortunately common system among individuals with MS was found in pertinent literature that showed how sleep may be the dominant factor in fatigue regarding MS. The study consisted of 107 employed individuals with MS of whom 61 percent reported poor sleep. Twenty-five percent noted sleep disturbances of the variance in fatigue in this subset, while another 7 percent noted depression.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most widespread disabling neurological condition of young adults around the world. You can develop MS at any age, but most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40. There are relapsing and remitting types of MS and progressive types, but the course is rarely predictable. Researchers still don't fully understand the causes of MS or why the rate of progression is so difficult to determine. The good news is that many people with MS don't become severely disabled and most have a normal or near-normal lifespan.
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