Multiple Sclerosis, also known as MS, is a disease where a person’s immune system attacks myelin, causing communication errors between a person’s brain and body. The disease impacts both the brain and spinal cord, and its exact cause is unknown. Nerve fibers are covered with a protective sheath known as myelin, and when this layer is attacked and damaged by the immune system, communication signals can get disrupted. MS is considered a chronic neurodegenerative disease, and it affects everyone differently. Some people may have more mild effects, while others might be more strongly affected.
MS can be described with several different courses: Relapsing-Remitting MS, Secondary Progressive MS, Primary Progressive MS and Benign MS. Relapsing-Remitting MS is the most common type, with approximately 90 percent of MS patients having it. Some symptoms of MS can include: fatigue, muscle weakness and spasms, trouble walking, issues with vision (blurred or doubled), numbness or tingling feelings and weakness. The effects of MS vary per person, so different people have different effects, and can be affected at different times. However, usually first symptoms appear when an affected person is between 20 to 40 years old. The exact cause of MS is unknown. MS is a neurological disease that can affect a person’s brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.
Roughly one million people in the U.S. are affected by MS, and since there is no specific cause of it, there are certain risk factors that suggest who is more likely to be diagnosed. These include factors like sex, age, family medical history, and others (which tend to be indirect correlations like geographical location). Women are generally more likely to receive a diagnosis of MS, with women being two to three times more likely to have relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis specifically. MS is more common in people within the age range of 20-50 years old; however, it can still occur in a person at any age. Family medical history may be a factor because people are slightly more likely to be diagnosed with MS if a close relative has it. Yet, it is important to know that MS is not a hereditary disease, meaning it does not necessarily develop in a child if one or both of their parents have it.
MS is not a disease that is currently curable. Although, there are many choices of treatments that may slow down the progression and/or alleviate the severity of some symptoms. There are disease-modifying therapies, also known as DMTs, which are meant to slow down progression while decreasing the likelihood of relapse. These come in various forms, like intravenous infusion treatments, oral medicine, and other particular medications. Each one is used to treat a specific type of multiple sclerosis, and the Food and Drug Administration has more recently allowed drugs that may treat primary progressive MS and secondary progressive MS, which are generally more difficult to treat and slow down. Other medications like corticosteroids are used to help with relapses, and some treatments are even used to specifically treat symptoms that come with living with MS. All of this varies by the type of MS a person has and the symptoms that they face, meaning some medicine will be more preferable and effective than others. Research for new and better treatments for this disease is still ongoing, which is why it is imperative that we invest our time and money to help organizations find out more information about it.
Lifestyle among people who live with MS varies just as it varies among people who do not experience the disease. Still, there are some specific ways that MS could cause lifestyle to be distinctly different. Besides treatments for this disease, there are rehabilitative practices that someone could do with the guidance of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other medical professionals in order to deal with symptoms of MS. Another important thing to keep in mind is to ensure that the places someone with MS are usually in, like the workplace and home, is accessible. This can be achieved by seeking out ways to reduce the risk of falling accidents and using mobility aids that allow them to move around with more ease. Most importantly, people who live with MS engage in whatever activities that allow them to focus on wellness, like engaging in recreational activities, appropriate physical activity and diets, and care relating to emotional health.
There is still so much more to be learned about multiple sclerosis, especially because there is such a wide spectrum regarding how it impacts people. This is just some information that will provide a better understanding of what it is, but you can continue to educate yourself on MS, the experiences of people who live with MS, and updates on the ongoing research into it.
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