What to know About Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease related to brain and spinal cord in which the immune system attacks the protective sheath i.e. myelin that covers the nerve fibers and results in communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.

An autoimmune disease: Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. This means the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. In MS, immune system cells attacks myelin, the sheath that covers nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system).

Myelin and sclerosis: Myelin is the sleeve of fatty tissue that protects and insulates nerve fibers, like insulation around a wire. Myelin helps electrical signals travel along nerve fibers. Damage to myelin and nerve fibers is called demyelination. The scar tissue that results is called sclerosis.

Disrupted signals: The damage can slow or block the electrical signals that carry information between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. That can cause problems with vision, movement, muscle strength, coordination and thinking.

Outcomes vary: Symptoms and how fast the disease worsens vary from patient to patient. Some people have few or mild symptoms. Some have months or years with few or no symptoms. For others, MS becomes disabling. MS cannot be cured yet, but treatments can slow the disease and manage symptoms. Most patients can expect a normal life span.

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MS affects approximately 400,000 Americans (1 in 1,000) but is much more common in the Northwest where approximately 12,000 (2 in 1,000) people have MS.  Some likely factors that contribute to this may be vitamin D deficiency, genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. Other factors are still unknown. Additionally, women are twice as likely as men to be affected by MS.

With every person who has multiple sclerosis, the progression, severity and specific symptoms of the condition will be different. Some people have a type of multiple sclerosis that allows them to maintain a relatively normal lifestyle, with mild symptoms; other people can experience vision loss and weakness. There’s no cure, but treatment can relieve symptoms and help you manage your daily living.

Types of multiple sclerosis?

Ø  Relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form. About 85 percent of people with MS are initially diagnosed with this type. It involves temporary periods called relapses, or flare-ups, when new symptoms may appear, followed and preceded by periods where they may experience few or no symptoms and the disease appears to be in remission.

Ø  Secondary-progressive MS, when symptoms get worse steadily over time, with or without relapses and remissions. If you’re diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, you may transition to secondary-progressive at some point, but not all cases of MS are progressive, when treated.

Ø  Primary-progressive MS, an uncommon type diagnosed in about 10 percent of people with multiple sclerosis. You may see slowly worsening symptoms from the beginning, with no relapses or remissions.

Ø  Progressive-relapsing MS is a rare form of the disease, affecting just 5 percent of patients with the disease. You may experience a deteriorating disease state from the beginning, with significant relapses but no remissions.

Multiple sclerosis symptoms

üTiredness

ü  Tingling, numbness or pain, especially in the extremities

ü  Difficulty with balance and walking

ü  Changes in vision, including double vision

ü  Emotional changes, such as depression

ü  Fuzzy thinking or diminished ability to comprehend speech or written words

ü  Impaired muscle coordination

ü  Slurred speech or stuttering

ü  Bladder and bowel changes

References: 

https://www.ohsu.edu/brain-institute/understanding-multiple-sclerosis 

https://www.honorhealth.com/medical-services/neurosciences/multiple-sclerosis