There are illnesses that arrive with loud warnings. Then there are illnesses that quietly slip into a person’s life, leaving behind signs that are easy to dismiss. Multiple Sclerosis, commonly known as MS, often belongs to the second category.
A tingling sensation in the hand. A few days of blurred vision. Sudden fatigue that refuses to go away. Dizziness that comes and disappears without explanation. In many Indian households, these symptoms are brushed aside as stress, lack of sleep, weakness, vitamin deficiency, or simply the result of a hectic lifestyle.
What many people do not realise is that these seemingly small episodes can sometimes be the first signs of a neurological disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.
For thousands of people in India, the journey to an MS diagnosis is not only long but also emotionally exhausting. By the time answers arrive, years may have passed, and irreversible nerve damage may already have taken place.
When symptoms disappear, the disease often hides
One of the biggest reasons Multiple Sclerosis goes unnoticed is that its earliest symptoms do not always stay.
A person may suddenly experience numbness in one arm. Another may struggle with vision for a few days before it improves on its own. Someone else may feel overwhelming exhaustion for weeks and then recover without treatment.
This temporary improvement creates a false sense of relief.
Dr Anshu Rohatgi, Vice Chairperson - Neurology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, explains, “Multiple Sclerosis (MS) continues to be underdiagnosed in India, largely because its earliest symptoms are subtle, transient, and often mistaken for stress, fatigue, or nutritional deficiencies. Patients may experience tingling, muscle stiffness, numbness, temporary blurred vision, dizziness, or unexplained exhaustion that improves within days or weeks, leading many to believe the problem has been resolved. Clinically, however, even a short-lived episode can indicate underlying demyelination and irreversible nerve damage.”
MS is an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, the protective covering around nerve fibres. When this damage begins, the brain's communication with different parts of the body gets disrupted.
The challenge is that the body sometimes partially recovers after an attack, making people believe everything is normal again.
Many patients experience temporary improvement, which delays medical evaluation and specialist referrals. Experts say early diagnosis and timely treatment are essential to slow disease progression, reduce relapses, and improve quality of life.
Why young women are frequently overlooked
MS most commonly affects adults between the ages of 20 and 40. Globally and in India, women are diagnosed more often than men.
Yet this age group faces a unique challenge.
When a young adult reports fatigue, mood changes, dizziness, headaches, or weakness, these symptoms are often linked to work pressure, anxiety, hormonal fluctuations, or nutritional deficiencies before neurological causes are considered.
Dr Rohatgi says, “Many MS patients only reach a neurologist after multiple relapses spread across months or years, by which time significant disease activity may already have occurred. What makes MS particularly challenging is that no single symptom is unique; consequently, young adults, especially women between the ages of 20-40 years—are frequently overlooked in primary care settings.”
This creates a dangerous delay.
Unlike diseases that have one clear warning sign, MS behaves differently in every individual. A college student may first notice vision problems. A working professional may struggle with balance. Another person may develop muscle stiffness or unexplained numbness.
The absence of a standard symptom pattern often causes confusion for both patients and healthcare providers.
The India-specific challenge: Awareness still lags behind
For decades, Multiple Sclerosis was considered uncommon in India. That perception still influences awareness levels today.
Research published by Indian neurologists notes that MS was historically believed to be rare in the country, partly because of limited diagnostic facilities and a lack of large-scale epidemiological studies. Over the years, increasing access to MRI technology and neurological care has revealed that many more cases exist than previously thought.
The problem becomes even more complicated outside metropolitan cities, where access to neurologists, MRI scans, and specialised testing may be limited.
Many patients visit multiple doctors before finally reaching a neurological specialist who identifies the condition.
The cost of delayed diagnosis is bigger than most people think
MS is not simply about occasional symptoms.
Every untreated relapse can potentially leave behind damage within the central nervous system.
The disease may affect mobility, vision, coordination, bladder function, cognition, and daily independence over time.
According to Dr Rohatgi, “Multiple Sclerosis is a highly heterogeneous disease. Symptoms vary widely among patients because the focal patches of demyelination can occur anywhere in the central nervous system.”
That unpredictability is precisely why delayed diagnosis can be dangerous.
Many people assume that if symptoms improve, there is no need for further testing. However, MS can continue to remain active even when a person appears relatively healthy on the surface.
Invisible neurological damage is often the part patients cannot see but may eventually feel years later.
Greater public awareness, better access to neurologists, and stronger diagnostic infrastructure are critical for improving MS care across the country.
What needs to change and how people can protect themselves
The conversation around Multiple Sclerosis in India needs to move beyond specialist clinics and reach ordinary households.
Recognising warning signs early can make a major difference.
Symptoms that deserve medical attention include:
- Recurrent numbness or tingling
- Unexplained muscle weakness
- Episodes of blurred or double vision
- Persistent dizziness
- Balance problems
- Extreme fatigue without a clear cause
- Sudden difficulty walking or coordinating movements
These symptoms do not automatically mean MS, but repeated episodes should never be ignored.
Dr Rohatgi emphasises, “Early intervention on high-efficacy therapies is critical to reduce relapses, delay disability progression, and improve long-term quality of life. There is a pressing need for stronger awareness at both the public and physician levels. Frontline healthcare providers and general practitioners require clearer referral pathways and better access to neurological evaluations and MRI-based diagnostics to detect MS early and manage its progression in a timely way.”
Beyond medical care, emotional support matters too. Many people with MS spend years feeling misunderstood because their symptoms are invisible. Families, workplaces, and communities play an important role in helping patients navigate the uncertainty that often comes with the condition.
The future of MS care in India will depend not only on better treatment but also on earlier conversations, faster referrals, stronger awareness campaigns, and wider access to specialised neurological services.
A disease that remains unseen for too long often becomes harder to fight. Multiple Sclerosis is one such condition. The sooner India learns to recognise its quiet warnings, the more lives can be protected from its long-term consequences.
Medical experts consultedThis article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by:
Dr Anshu Rohatgi (Vice Chairperson - Neurology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital).
Inputs were used to explain why the early signs of Multiple Sclerosis are frequently overlooked in India, how delayed diagnosis affects patients, and why timely neurological evaluation is crucial.
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