Examine Your
The first step is for you and your doctor too discuss your complete medical history. This will help your doctor to discover a set pattern of symptoms that may suggest that you have MS. Tell your physician about what types of symptoms you are having, when they started, when they are better and what makes them worse. He also needs to know about any other you may have and any medications, including herbal, that you are taking. Your doctor will want to know if anyone else in your family has MS. Many patients find it helpful to keep a log of their symptoms for some time before seeing their doctor because it is often difficult to remember everything during your office visit.
Have Neurological Exams and Tests
Because MS affects the ability of the nervous signals to travel through the body there are certain tests that the doctor can perform to see if there is any nerve impairment. Your physician will examine your movement, coordination, balance, vision and the other four senses to look for evidence of MS.
Evoked potential tests examine your nervous system's response when it is stimulated. These tests look at your visual, auditory and general sensory responses. In people with MS, there is a slower neurological response to stimuli. This tells your doctor that there may be scarring along nerve pathways, which is suggestive of MS.
Get MRIs and Other Scans
In addition, because MS attacks the myelin sheath around the nerves, certain tests can detect if there is damage. When this damage occurs, it leaves behind scars or lesions that can identify the presence of MS. MRIs can also tell if the lesions are old or new. Because there are other medical conditions that can cause similar lesions, the MRI needs to show damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves). There must also be evidence that the damages occurred at least one month apart. This, along with your medical history and neurological exam, can be used to diagnose MS.
Consider Other Tests
Your physician can also perform a cerebrospinal fluid analysis. This involves a spinal tap, which is used to detect specific immune system proteins and the presence of oligoclonal bands. These bands are found in the spinal fluid of about 90 percent of people with MS. However, as with MRIs and lesions, there are other conditions that can mimic this, so it is only one diagnostic tool.
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