Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Symptoms -- the difference

[Mamabug]

Snoopy wrote this as a comment on a different thread, in response to a question. I had never heard this explanation and I found it helpful, so I wanted to share it and give it its own thread. (Note: I changed the format of Snoopy's thread slightly, but not the content.)

Thanks, Snoopy, for sharing this information.

This topic brought to mind a book, one of the very first books to be written on and about MS; Multiple Sclerosis -- A Guide for Patients and Their Families, by Labe Scheinberg.

Labe Scheinberg was my Neurologists Professor.

My Neurologist recommended I get the book and would probably need to order it. I went to the bookstore and looked for that book or any book on MS --- there wasn't anything, so I ordered.

In the chapter: Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis...

The signs and symptoms of MS can be called primary, secondary, or tertiary.

• Primary symptoms are a result of an area of demyelination and include symptoms such as weakness, numbness, urinary incontinence, visual disturbance, and fatigue.
• Secondary symptoms are complications that result from the primary ones including UTIs and pressure sores.
• Tertiary symptoms include the emotional, social and vocational impact of the disease on the patient, family and community.

[marti]

I appreciated this one too. After 16 years of dealing with MS, I still have tons of new questions. Thanks all.