Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect that is the result of
maternal drinking of alcoholic beverages during the pregnancy. It is a
preventable birth defect in that pregnant women who avoid consuming
alcohol can prevent this particular birth defect from occurring.

All fetuses of pregnant women who drink alcohol while pregnant are at
risk for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

The effects of FAS are irreversible and can include mental and
behavioral problems. There are as many as 40,000 babies born each year
in the United States who are diagnosed with FAS.

Symptoms of FAS:

This birth defect manifests itself in a cluster of different but
related problems due to the exposure to alcohol during fetal
development. The cluster of problems may be referred to as fetal
alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a leading cause of mental retardation and
yet it is preventable and to this day is still ranking the most
prevalent cause of mental retardation - a truly dismaying statement.

Symptoms:

Small eyes, very thin upper lip and a short turned up nose

Heart defects

Deformity of joints, limbs and fingers

Delayed physical growth before birth and after birth

Vision difficulties

Hearing difficulties

Small head circumference

Small brain size (microcephaly)

Mental retardation

Delayed development

Short attention span

Hyperactivity

Poor impulse control

Extreme nervousness and anxiety

Physicians may use other terms to describe the symptoms of FAS such
as: Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) which refers to
the mental and behaviorl impairments experienced as a result of
exposure to alcohol during fetal development and alcohol-related birth
defects (ARBDs) which refer to the physical defects that occur as a
result of FAS.

What causes FAS?

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it enters her bloodstream,
crosses over through the placenta into the baby’s bloodstream. The
unborn baby has a much slower metabolism than its mom and thus the
alcohol concentrations are higher. The alcohol will impair the optimal
nutrition for the baby’s developing tissues and organs and can even
damage brain cells. The risk increases the more alcohol the mom
consumes. Impairment to the developing baby includes facial features,
organs including the heart, bones, the central nervous system and the
brain. The most damage can be done during the first trimester when
some women may not even know that they are pregnant. Brain damage can
be done at any stage of pregnancy.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to birth defects and it can
cause miscarriage. Women who can conceive, suspect they may be
pregnant or are pregnant should not consume any alcohol. The more
alcohol consumed the higher the risk for birth defects.

Multiple sclerosis usually strikes between ages 20 and 40, right when
most of us are really getting our careers into full swing, or when we
are defining who we are in the field of work. The diagnosis may come
at a time when the pressure is really on to perform in our chosen
career and finding out about MS may lead us to believe that our future
is somehow diminished by the disease. For many, work is not just about
the money and the security, but the identity…it defines who we are.
The fear then becomes, am I less for having MS?

The diagnosis need not put you into a tailspin, if you can somehow
slow down the thought process enough to try to deal with the
diagnosis, get a full picture of where you are physically and what
your treatment plan is going to entail. You may find out that your
symptoms are mild at first and that not much about your present life
will change quite yet. MS is a progressive disease but a slow one.
This will allow you the time you need to adjust to the disease and how
it will impact your work life as well as your home life. You won’t
need to rush into any decisions. Do not let others rush you into
making decisions that you are not ready to make. Take your time, get
the advise of your doctor and any other individuals that you value
their opinions. Employers should be able to understand about
allowances that may need to be made.

There are laws that employers need to follow in regard to individuals
with disabilities and employment issues. Inform your employer of your
diagnosis but also take the time to educate him/her regarding your
abilities to perform your tasks and that MS is a slow to progress
disease. Many individuals continue to add value in their place of
employment and there are many agencies that are there to help
individuals to adjust to working while medically challenged. You
cannot be discriminated against in an employment situation because of
your illness. Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments
for you to continue to work at your present employment.

Reasonable adjustments may include changing your work hours, allowing
for longer or more frequent breaks, or moving work stations so that
your desk and other office equipment is more accessible to you. You
should be able to work as long as you are physically capable of doing
so and feel comfortable working.

The ancient practice of acupuncture has been practiced for thousands
of years with much success. Today, it is enjoying resurgence in
popularity for a variety of conditions. However, would it be
beneficial to try and alleviate the symptoms of MS with this method?
There are several concerns about this medical practice in terms of the
disease and experts feel that it is possible that it could actually
make matters works in terms of this autoimmune disease that strikes
the nerves.

Accolades for Acupuncture

Acupuncture works by placing needles on certain energy trigger points
throughout the body which helps to unblock the body’s energy. This
ancient Chinese practice does not recognize the theory of a nervous
system but rather pathways of energy that runs through the body.
Researchers who have studied acupuncture believe that the energy
released from the various placements of the needles believe that it
stimulates the immune system.

Indeed, acupuncture has been successful in treating addicting
behaviors like overeating and smoking. Also, it helps relieve pain
from surgery or a chronic condition. It is the perceived relationship
between the needle placement and the stimulation of the immune system
that has doctors worried about how MS patients would fair with
acupuncture.

The Acupuncture-MS Relationship

Many doctors and researchers believe that multiple sclerosis is an
autoimmune disease which means that the body’s own immune system is
attacking healthy tissue like the myelin that protects the nerves. So
what might happen when acupuncture stimulates the immune system of
someone with MS?

This stimulation of the immune system is what has many people worried
about the overall outcome for the MS sufferer. Will it actually give
the immune system a kick in the pants and stop destroying healthy
cells? Or, will acupuncture actually make matters worse and stimulate
the immune system to cause further damage to healthy cells, at perhaps
a greater speed.

The Bottom Line for Acupuncture

Doctors who treat MS patients are quick to advocate alternative
treatment that could help alleviate the pain of the disease as long as
they are confident that there would be no repercussions. However,
while many doctors believe that acupuncture is a valuable tool in many
other health conditions, they will not definitively advocate its use
in multiple sclerosis. There have been no tests done and no treatment
history exists for MS patients who have tried acupuncture. Therefore,
it is best not to try this alternative ancient practice for MS
symptoms.

Some people may feel that they have nothing to lose and will likely
try acupuncture anyway. One can only hope that it is successful and
that they report their experiences and how the practice affected their
MS symptoms. In the meantime, there are plenty of other alternative
therapies to try that have been proven safe and beneficial for MS
patients. With so many unknowns about acupuncture and its potential
benefits or repercussions in regards to MS, it’s better to take a wait
and see approach. After all, what could work for one patient may not
work for another. There is no definitive way to get an objective
result.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a difficult disease, not just to cope with
but also to even diagnose. Many patients can go for several years from
one doctor to another with no definitive answers until finally the
diagnosis is made. The reason is that many symptoms that MS creates
are symptoms that are apparent and representative of other diseases as
well.

Part of the problem in diagnosing MS is that there are no definitive
tests strictly for MS screening. Rather there are several tests given
that in total can point, with some certainty, to MS. Basically, the
symptoms are reviewed in conjunction with various radiology studies as
well as lab testing and even cognitive function. Your doctor may
indeed come to an MS conclusion based on the results of these
screening techniques:

1.  Neurological Testing – An examination will methodically test each
part of your nervous system which includes your sense of touch, heat
and cold, pain and even vibration.  In addition, reflexes are tested
as well as muscle strength and your muscle tone. The doctors will
examine your posture, balance, coordination and how you carry yourself
when you walk. Finally, there will be a question and answer session to
test cognitive skills like memory, judgment and how clear your thought
processes are.

2.  Medical History – Your doctor or doctors will review all of your
symptoms along and also as part of a group. They will likely ask you
to keep a diary of your days to keep track of pain, fatigue and more
to determine a probable pattern in the symptoms as a part of trying to
pinpoint the diagnosis.

3.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging aka MRI – This is a powerful test in
which you are passed through a cylindrical shaped tube which emits a
magnetic field and radio waves. This scanner creates computer
generated images that doctors can study. Typically, you would be
injected with a dye like gadolinium via an IV so that it can course
through your body. This dye will illuminate the MS lesions in the
brain and spinal cord area via the MRI. The images can be created from
every possible perspective for the doctors to study. Some MRIs can
show the extent of the MS damage to the myelin and nerves.

4.  Lumbar Puncture aka Spinal Tap – A sample of your spinal fluid is
obtained via a spinal tap and sent to a lab for analysis. Testing will
show abnormalities like white blood cell counts or protein levels that
are out of whack, two indicators of possible MS. A spinal tap can also
rule out infections and various other conditions which can cause
similar MS symptoms.

As you can see, there are several tests that in and of them selves
would not be the sole indicator of the disease multiple sclerosis.
However, taken collectively, the results of the testing can definitely
point doctors towards an MS diagnosis. Some of these tests may be
taken several times at various periods to make comparisons as well.
Perhaps one day there will be one definitive test that could test for
MS, but until then, the four screening techniques listed above are a
doctor’s best tools.