13 October 2023 , 07:00
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Anchorman star Christina Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) more than two years ago, but the actress has recently revealed she missed ‘early’ symptoms of the debilitating condition.
The 51-year-old first discovered she had the autoimmune condition in August 2021, however she noticed unusual changes to her body while filming season one of her Netflix show ‘Dead To Me’ in 2019.
In 2022, the Bad Moms star admitted she struggled with balance during a dancing scene, and that her tennis performance was dropping, which she put down to not working hard enough. Speaking to The New York Times, she said: “I wish I had paid attention, but who was I to know?”
This year she opened up about her battle with MS, revealing how everyday activities, like getting in the shower, can be a struggle. “There are just certain things that people take for granted in their lives that I took for granted. Going down the stairs, carrying things — you can’t do that anymore,” she told Good Morning America.
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Around 130,000 people in the UK live with MS, while nearly 7,000 are newly diagnosed with the neurological condition every year, reports the MS Society. The condition affects the brain and the spinal cord, and occurs because the coating that protects the nerves is damaged, adds the charity.
Symptoms of MS
Symptoms of the condition can vary from person to person and can strike in any part of the body. According to the NHS, the warning signs to watch out for include:
Fatigue
Difficulty walking
Vision problems, such as blurred vision
Problems controlling the bladder
Numbness or tingling in different parts of the body
Muscle stiffness and spasms
Problems with balance and coordination
Problems with thinking, learning and planning
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It’s important to note that these symptoms often have other causes and do not necessarily mean you have MS. You should visit a GP if you're worried you might have signs of MS.
There are three main types of MS - relapsing remitting MS, secondary progressive MS and primary progressive MS. Those with relapsing MS may find their symptoms may come and go in phases or get steadily worse over time.
Early diagnosis
The MS Society highlights vision problems, also known as optic neuritis, as the most obvious first sign of the condition. The effectiveness of early diagnosis has previously been debated, but a communication specialist said it made a “big difference” for her.
Angie Randall was diagnosed with MS at the age of 29 and said doctors are getting better at diagnosing the condition sooner. She told Healthline: “When (an) MRI shows early signs of MS, we can initiate workup and confirm a diagnosis before someone experiences any disabling symptoms.
"Early diagnosis is especially important because we have very effective therapies that can help prevent future relapses and future disability.” Since her diagnosis seven years ago, Angie has had two children and a career shift. She is on a mission to remind newly-diagnosed MS patients that life “is not over”.
What causes MS
MS is an autoimmune condition, which means the immune system mistakenly attacks a healthy part of the body – in this case, the brain or spinal cord of the nervous system.
The NHS writes: “In MS, the immune system attacks the layer that surrounds and protects the nerves called the myelin sheath. This damages and scars the sheath, and potentially the underlying nerves, meaning that messages travelling along the nerves become slowed or disrupted.”
The exact causes for MS are unknown, but health experts believe that it’s linked to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, adds the health body.