Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Mostly it strikes between the ages of 20 and 40, but can be exhibited at any age.
More women have the disease than men, and it may have a genetic connection. Health officials think it may be related to a virus that lies dormant in cells.
MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When covering is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop.
Nerve damage is caused by inflammation that occurs when the body’s immune cells attack the nervous system. This can occur along any area of the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord. Scar tissue develops where the myelin is damaged and this is what disrupts nerve messages.
Symptoms may abate ,and remissions last for months or years. More damage is done with each episode.
No cure has been found, but therapies can slow the disease’s progress. Treatment can control symptoms. Treatments include drugs to reduce muscle spasms and urinary problems; antidepressants and drugs to reduce fatigue.
Diagnosing MS often is a tedious process of eliminating other possibilities. A CT scan and an MRI may help physicians decide the symptoms are MS-related, along with a lumbar puncture to test spinal fluid.
Symptoms can be across a broad spectrum, including loss of balance, muscle spasms, abnormal reflex responses, numbness, weakness and tremors.
Physical therapy can help strengthen muscles and retrain muscles affected by the disease.
It is estimated 2.5 million people are living with MS, about 400,000 in the United States.
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