What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
MS is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord) believed to be an autoimmune disorder.
What are the symptoms of MS?
Symptoms of MS are neurological and can include extreme fatigue, blurred vision, blindness, slurred speech, loss of balance, tremors, paralysis, numbness and walking difficulties. They can be diverse, while coming and going without any pattern.
What causes MS?
Nerves in the brain and spinal cord lose their ability to transmit signals due to the destruction of Myelin. Essential for nerves to carry out their function and conduct electricity, Myelin is a complex substance that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers. For those with MS, cells and proteins of the immune system, which normally defend the body against infections, leave the blood vessels and central nervous system, pour into the brain and spinal cord, destroying the myelin.
What makes MS so difficult to diagnose?
In the early stages, symptoms that might indicate a number of other disorders come and go. Some individuals have symptoms that are quite difficult for physicians to interpret, and are told to "wait and see." Though no single test is available to prove or discount MS, MRIs play a great part in reaching a definite diagnosis.
What group is most likely to be affected by MS?
Typically those diagnosed with MS are between the ages of 20 and 50; however, the illness can affect youth and elderly persons as well. Twice as many women are afflicted with MS as men. While it occurs predominantly among those with Northern European backgrounds, those of African, Asian and Hispanic descent are not immune. Studies indicate that certain people are more susceptible to MS due to genetic factors, although there is no proof that it is directly inherited.
How many people have MS?
Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million people, with 400,000 of them being Americans. Approximately another 200 individuals are diagnosed every week.
Is there a cure for MS?
There is no cure yet. However, there are FDA-approved drugs to slow or "modify" the course of the disease. Additionally, there are many technological and therapeutic treatments to assist people in managing symptoms and leading productive lives.
How has MS evolved over the years?
While first described in 1838, it took 30 years for physicians to recognize MS as a disease. In 1900, the life expectancy of a person with MS was only five years. Today, individuals can now live a normal life-span, though often with a struggle and increasing limitations. It was not until after World War II that an immunologic cause of MS was seriously investigated, and it was not until 1970 that the first positive results of treatment with an immunologic therapy (steroids) were released. In the 1990s, disease-modifying drugs became the first line of medications that fight MS directly.