What happens in multiple sclerosis? Symptoms explored as Emma Caulfield Ford reveals diagnosis

American actress Emma Caulfield Ford opened up about living with multiple sclerosis since 2010.

In an interview with Vanity Fair published on October 4, the 49-year-old star spoke about how the disease has affected her personal and professional life. She recalled the first time she realized that something was wrong with her.

She said:

"Back in 2010, I was working on Marti Noxon's Gigantic and prior to starting that job, I woke up one morning and the left side of my face felt like there were a million ants crawling on it. I went to my acupuncturist, and he was like, 'I don't know, man. Maybe you have Bell's palsy?' Even when I was with the neurologist, he was like, 'Yeah, it sounds like Bell's palsy, honestly. You've been under a lot of stress.'"

Emma Caulfield Ford went on to point out that she had a turbulent year at the time and was under a "tremendous amount of stress," which might have triggered her condition. However, she received confirmation of her diagnosis in an abrupt manner.

She shared:

"I had a missed call from the doctor's office, so I called back. I'm just like, 'What's up?' I had five minutes down or whatever. And he was like, 'You have MS.' Just like that. It was like an out-of-body experience. I'm like, 'No, that's not possible.' I'm like, 'What are you talking about?' He was very matter of fact about it. 'Well, you can get a second opinion.'"

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All you need to know about multiple sclerosis that affected Emma Caulfield Ford

According to Medical News Today, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects a person's central nervous system, comprising the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The condition affects each person differently.

While its symptoms are unpredictable, NHS UK listed some of the problems that a patient can face, which include:

• fatigue
• vision problems
• numbness and tingling
• muscle spasms, stiffness, and weakness
• mobility problems
• pain
• problems with thinking, learning, and planning
• depression and anxiety
• sexual problems
• bladder problems
• bowel problems
• speech and swallowing difficulties

In her recent interview with Vanity Fair, Emma Caulfield Ford stated that after her diagnosis, she became health conscious and navigated through work, trying to keep her condition private.

She mentioned:

"There are already plenty of reasons to not hire people, reasons most actors don't even know. 'You look like my ex-girlfriend … You're too short. You're too tall. You look mean. You look too nice. You don't have the right color eyes.' I knew in my bones that if you talk about this, you're just going to stop working. That's it."

Emma Caulfield Ford stated that she is a worker bee and loves to work, adding, "I thrive in that."

The Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress stated that she chose to reveal her story for the sake of her daughter, who wasn't aware about her condition.

The actress shared:

"I'm so tired of not being honest. And beyond that, my daughter has changed my perspective, as I think anybody who is a parent can attest. I know that she has a 30% greater chance of coming down with this, just luck of the draw for her. She's six. She's just started first grade …. It got me thinking about her and how full of joy and active she is, and she's just such a remarkable little creature."

Emma Caulfield Ford added that she was not "doing everything I can for her because I have my mouth shut." She mentioned that she kept a positive attitude while dealing with her condition.