Because multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the central nervous system, it can cause symptoms throughout the body, including numbness, fatigue, and problems with balance. But taking good care of your body — in addition to sticking to your multiple sclerosis treatment plan — can help you manage your MS symptoms.
“We are beginning to better understand the importance of these additional measures,” says Lisa Billars, MD, a neurologist with Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta. “The focus is not only on treating the disease, but also on optimizing the health of patients in light of their medical condition.”
From keeping your cool — literally — to staying mentally engaged and physically active, following these lifestyle tips can help you stay healthy and live your best life with multiple sclerosis.
1. Eat More Nutritious Foods to Feel Your Best
There’s no special MS diet, but an overall healthy eating plan can give you more energy and help stave off chronic conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
“The general approach many neurologists take in patients with MS is recommending a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and omega-3 fatty acids,” Dr. Billars says.
Consuming enough fiber is important, too, to prevent constipation. Constipation is a common problem among people with MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Many fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with dried beans and lentils, are good sources of fiber. If you increase your fiber intake, be sure to also increase the amount of fluids in your diet. Not doing so can result in worsened constipation.
If MS has diminished your sense of taste, try using more herbs and spices, hot sauce, or citrus juices in your foods to give them more flavor. Warm foods also tend to have stronger flavors than cold foods.
RELATED: Bowel Incontinence in MS: Why It Happens, and What to Do About It
2. Keep Moving for Better Fitness and Function
Exercise is important for everyone with multiple sclerosis, both for fitness and for function.
“Movement of the body is crucial in patients with MS at every stage,” Billars says. Regular exercise promotes flexibility, can improve your balance, and may also help with common MS symptoms, such as constipation, fatigue, and cognitive issues, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS).
It may help to work with a physical therapist to identify exercises that will strengthen areas that are weak and assist you in reaching specific goals, such as walking more easily or improving foot drop.
If you tend to get overheated during exercise, try doing outdoor activities during the cooler hours of the day, exercising in an air-conditioned gym, or swimming, as heat can exacerbate MS symptoms. Though it’s important not to overdo it, anything is better than nothing, says Billars. She recommends trying to get some physical activity on at least five days of each week.
RELATED: Functional Exercise for Multiple Sclerosis: Advice From a Physical Therapist
3. Keep Your Brain Engaged and Stimulated
In addition to exercising your body, it’s important to exercise your brain.
“MS patients often need to use more of their brain to do a specific task than healthy individuals,” says Michael K. Racke, MD, medical director of neurology at Quest Diagnostics. “And the old adage ‘use it or lose it’ definitely applies to cognitive function in MS.”
Mentally challenging activities, such as doing crossword puzzles or word games, taking classes, playing memory games, or reading, all help to keep your brain sharp, according to the NMSS. Staying socially active also helps your brain function and staves off loneliness at the same time.
4. Address Sleep Problems to Get the Rest You Need
Sleep is essential to functioning well, particularly when your body is under stress or battling an illness, says Dr. Racke. You can practice good sleep hygiene by sticking to a consistent sleep schedule; keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool; avoiding too many fluids before bedtime; and creating a relaxing bedtime routine.
It’s also important to address any specific issues that are interrupting your sleep or making it hard to fall asleep in the first place. Anxiety, muscle spasticity, frequent nighttime urination, and depression are all common among people with MS and can disrupt your sleep, notes the NMSS. People with MS may be more likely to have restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea, which can affect sleep quality, adds the NMSS. Let your doctor know if you’re having persistent sleep difficulties that don’t respond to self-help measures.
RELATED: Sleep 101: The Ultimate Guide on How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
5. Talk to Your Doctor About Taking Vitamin D
Scientists have suspected a link between vitamin D and MS for many years, and a study published in October 2017 in the journal neurology adds to evidence that vitamin D deficiency may increase a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis.
But what if you already have MS? The results of some studies suggest that people with higher vitamin D levels have fewer relapses and less disease progression, but the benefits may be limited to younger people in earlier stages of MS.
For now, it’s unclear if vitamin D supplements help, but Billars says, “Until more solid research becomes available, it seems there is little harm in screening for vitamin D deficiency in MS patients and giving supplements to those with low levels.” She recommends doses of about 2,000 units daily.
6. Deal With Depression to Help With Fatigue
Both the inflammation in the brain that occurs in MS and the stress of dealing with MS can trigger depression, notes the NMSS.
“Depression is significantly elevated in the MS population,” Dr. Racke says. “It might also be one explanation for the common symptom of fatigue.”
Psychotherapy (“talk” therapy) and antidepressant medication are both effective treatments for depression in people with MS. Healthy living strategies such as following a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise, having a sleep routine, and participating in an MS support group will help, too, but will not treat serious depression on their own.
Talk to your doctor if you suspect depression. If you’re not sure, use the online screening tool on the website of Mental Health America.
RELATED: Depression, Anxiety, and MS: What’s the Connection?
7. Kick Your Smoking Habit if You Have One
For optimal health, it’s important to quit unhealthy habits — and that’s especially true about smoking.
“Smoking is a big risk factor for having MS as well as for the worsening of the disease,” Racke says. That means that while smoking is unhealthy for everyone, it’s a particularly harmful lifestyle choice for people with MS.
According to the NMSS, smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke both raise the risk of both developing MS and experiencing symptom progression.
The SmokeFree.gov website has tips, tools, and advice for quitting.
8. Have a Stress-Reduction Plan
Feeling chronically stressed reduces the quality of life for anyone. Many people with MS believe that stress can trigger MS symptoms or make them worse, although there is no conclusive research to support this theory, according to the NMSS.
Reducing stress through meditation training or other stress-reduction practices, on the other hand, has been shown to improve quality of life and possibly slow disease progression.
“Management of stress is an important part of staying healthy with MS,” Billars says. “Strengthening positive relationships through spending time with loved ones, exercising, finding a club or enjoyable hobby, meditation, and biofeedback are all ways to help cope with stress.”
Learning to manage stress doesn’t happen overnight. It may help to try some of the exercises suggested by the Mayo Clinic or read an authoritative book on the subject, such as The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living by Amit Sood, MD, Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, or one of Kabat-Zinn’s many other books on mindfulness and meditation.
RELATED: 7 Easy-to-Use Meditation Apps to Help You Achieve Zen
9. Avoid Getting Either Too Hot or Too Cold
A high percentage of people with MS are sensitive to heat and experience a worsening of symptoms — and sometimes new symptoms — when their body temperature rises.
“It is very clear that extreme temperature, particularly heat, can exacerbate the clinical symptoms of MS,” Racke says. The increase in temperature impairs the ability of nerves already damaged by MS to conduct electrical impulses.
You can keep yourself cooler by avoiding hot showers or baths, staying hydrated, using fans and air-conditioning in hot weather, wearing a cooling vest or neck wrap, taking cooldown breaks, and staying out of direct sunlight.
RELATED: Cooling Products for Multiple Sclerosis
Also take precautions to stay warm when temperatures are frigid. Some people with MS experience increased spasticity and other symptoms in cold weather, per the NMSS.
RELATED: What to Do When Cold Weather Worsens MS Symptoms
10. Take It Easy on Yourself
Find ways to make each day a little easier, whether it’s adopting an overall strategy, such as pacing yourself, or identifying a specific tool, such as a jar opener or electric toothbrush, which makes a particular task easier.
“Sometimes people with MS will benefit from adaptive strategies to help them with things like short-term memory,” Racke says. Writing notes yourself or using a smartphone with daily reminders are two ways to help you stay on track.
Mobility aids, such as canes, walkers, and wheelchairs, can help you conserve energy during daily tasks and keep you mobile if walking is a problem.
And don’t hold back from taking breaks when you start to feel tired. “MS patients may be able to function fairly normally when well rested, but may have worsening function at the end of the day when tired,” Racke says.
11. Moderate Your Alcohol Intake
While there are no studies linking alcohol consumption to an increased risk of developing MS, alcohol can temporarily worsen common MS symptoms such as imbalance and lack of coordination, even after only one drink, according to the NMSS.
Alcohol also increases urinary urgency and frequency, which are common MS symptoms. It can interfere with certain medications that are commonly used to manage MS symptoms and increase your risk for health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, which can worsen your MS.
Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.