Are sensory processing disorders common for people living with MS?

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) will report that there are often environmental triggers for the onset of what feels like ‘sensory processing overload’. Whether this is crowded spaces, supermarkets theatres, airports, train stations or other environments where there are huge amounts of aural, olfactory and visual stimulation (or high demands on attention and focus).

What we are talking about is sensory processing overload being the ‘trigger’ for the onset of symptoms like fatigue, pain, visual disturbances and further cognitive issues.

These sensory triggers can result in a variety of symptoms whether exacerbating ‘brain fog’ and further impacts on physical functionality with issues like tremor or altered sensations.

Often these symptoms are temporary and although people may need extra recovery time (sometimes days), the symptoms will often gradually lessen once the sensory stimuli has gone completely.

‘Sensory overload’ or sensory processing disorders are often associated with neurodivergent conditions and other neurological issues such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Fibromyalgia, brain injury, migraine, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) but it can also happen in MS, too.

There is a lot of notional evidence from the MS community about ‘processing overload’, with MSers sharing their lived experience in blogs, articles and on social media. There have been some studies looking at sensory processing overload.

One such study found that ‘Sensory Integration Disorders’ or ‘Sensory Processing Disorders’ were more common in people with MS who had recent relapses (within the last year).

Another study found that sensory processing difficulties for people with MS mean they can have difficulty with input from general daily environment, and sensory inputs can affect MSers ability to perform standard functional daily living activities.

Cognitive symptoms are common for people living with MS and these kinds of sensory processing disorder issues are considered part of issues with cognition.

Although not addressing sensory issues directly, MS-UK have a Choices booklet and online content all about cognition. This content has some good suggestions for professional help, tips for self-management and includes real lived experiences of other people living with MS.

If you are affected by sensory processing issues, it would be worth raising your concerns when you next communicate with your MS team and let them know about how this symptom is affecting you.

They may well refer you to neurorehabilitation services. Neuropsychology and occupational therapy services may have a role to play in supporting you. A neuropsychologist may be able to assess you and offer some formal clinical guidance, and an OT can support with strategies to minimise the impact of the symptom on functional ability and may help you access aids and equipment that can help.

When it comes to living as best as possible with this tricky issue, there are ways you can implement some self-management strategies to help manage this invisible and hidden symptom. We have three top tips that may help:

Tracking symptoms

Using a symptom diary or tracker is a good way of recording issues. Tracking your issues thinking about time of day, environment, and placing a value ‘score’, will help by measuring the symptom’s impact over time. You may be able to spot any patterns, potential triggers or help you evaluate any self-management strategies you try.

Practicing mindfulness, meditating, breathing exercises and doing all you can to reduce your bodies stress responses can help to reduce the impact on your functionality. These strategies aren’t just about escaping overstimulation they are also a proactive step to pacing energy, maintaining positive mental health and can help to prevent total sensory overload.

Planning in advance

Once you know that there can be environmental triggers that can negatively impact on your ability and symptoms you can start to plan ahead. For example, if you know that you are going to be in a crowded space, you may need to take regular ‘time out’ recovery breaks.

If you are going to be in a busy supermarket or environments with lots of artificial lighting and other sensory inputs, you could bring along dark sunglasses or noise cancelling earbuds. Anything you can do to take pressure off the hours (and possibly days) after being exposed to these environmental inputs will be helpful.

This could be clearing your diary or even batch cooking (or getting meals ready in advance). You can’t plan for every eventuality, but the ‘present you’ may be able to plan ahead to mitigate the impact of sensory overload on the ‘future you’.