Neurologist on multiple sclerosis warning signs to look out for

Doctor discusses medical notes with patient at a desk — Photo: Andrei_R / Shutterstock

A simple checklist cannot catch multiple sclerosis, but knowing the warning signs still matters more than most people realize. Neurologist Dr. Gayatri Devi joined CBS Mornings to walk through the symptoms doctors watch for.

Quick Take

Dr. Gayatri Devi discussed multiple sclerosis warning signs on CBS Mornings, tying the segment to Christina Applegate’s reported misdiagnosis.
Common early signs include vision changes, numbness, muscle weakness, balance problems, and bladder issues.
No single test or symptom confirms MS; doctors combine history, exams, MRI scans, and sometimes spinal fluid tests.
Research shows MS misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis both happen often, with delays sometimes stretching for years.

A Celebrity Case Puts a Tricky Disease in the Spotlight

Christina Applegate’s story resonated because it showed how confusing an MS diagnosis can be, even for someone with access to top medical care. CBS Mornings used her experience as a launching point for a broader health segment, inviting Dr. Devi to explain what symptoms actually deserve a doctor’s attention. The goal was not to turn viewers into self-diagnosing patients, but to help them know when a visit to a neurologist is worth it.

Dr. Devi’s appearance fits into CBS Mornings’ regular health coverage, which frequently features specialists breaking down complex conditions for a general audience. That consistency matters. Viewers trust a familiar format, and health segments built around real cases tend to stick with people longer than dry statistics ever could.

What the Symptoms Actually Look Like

Multiple sclerosis often announces itself through the nervous system in scattered, confusing ways. Cleveland Clinic lists vision changes, muscle weakness, odd numbness or tingling, balance and coordination trouble, and bladder control problems among the earliest signs. Merck’s clinical reference adds mild cognitive symptoms, like slower thinking or memory lapses, to that list. None of these symptoms shout “MS” on their own, which is exactly why they are so easy to miss or misread.

That vagueness is the core challenge facing patients and doctors alike. A tingling foot could mean a pinched nerve. Blurred vision could mean eye strain. Fatigue could mean almost anything. MS symptoms overlap heavily with far more common conditions, which is why doctors lean on patterns over time rather than one-off complaints.

Why No Single Test Can Confirm the Disease

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence puts it plainly: no single test, scan, or symptom proves MS. Instead, physicians build a case using multiple pieces of evidence gathered over weeks or months. Mayo Clinic describes this process as a combination of medical history, physical and neurological exams, MRI imaging, and in some cases a spinal tap to check cerebrospinal fluid. Cleveland Clinic outlines a nearly identical path, reinforcing that diagnosis is a process, not a snapshot.

That process-driven approach explains why MS can take so long to pin down, and why mistakes happen in both directions. A 2024 systematic review found reported misdiagnosis rates ranging from 5 percent to 41 percent, with a pooled estimate near 15 percent. Underdiagnosis ranged even higher, from 3 percent to 58 percent, with a pooled estimate of 36 percent. Those numbers show a real, two-sided problem: some people get labeled with MS incorrectly, while others with the disease go unrecognized for far too long.

The Real Cost of Diagnostic Delay

Delay is not just a statistic; it shapes real lives. Patients can spend years chasing answers before a correct diagnosis arrives, sometimes after being told their symptoms stemmed from something else entirely. Cases like Applegate’s highlight the human side of that delay, which is likely why CBS chose to pair her story with a neurologist’s guidance rather than a dry symptom list alone.

The practical takeaway for viewers is straightforward and sensible. Persistent, unexplained neurological symptoms deserve a conversation with a doctor, ideally a neurologist, rather than quiet dismissal or a rushed internet search. Awareness segments like this one serve their purpose when they push people toward professional evaluation instead of encouraging them to self-diagnose from a television checklist. That balance, informed concern paired with trust in real medical testing, reflects exactly the kind of common-sense approach patients need.