Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord. It is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). In MS, the body’s own immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerves and impairs the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of your body. Eventually, the disease can cause the nerves themselves to deteriorate or become permanently damaged.

Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms. Common symptoms of MS include visual disturbances, muscle weakness, problems with coordination and balance, sensations such as numbness, prickling, or "pins and needles", and thinking and memory problems.

The cause of MS is unknown. It may be an autoimmune disease, which happens when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. MS affects women more than men, and it often begins between the ages of 20 and 40. Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak, or walk.

There is no cure for MS, but medicines may slow it down and help control symptoms. Physical and occupational therapy may also help.

The cause of MS is unknown. It is considered an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. In MS, this immune system destroys the fatty substance that coats and protects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord (myelin). When the protective myelin is damaged and nerve fiber is exposed, the messages that travel along that nerve may be slowed or blocked. The nerve may also become damaged itself. A combination of genetics and environmental factors appears to be responsible for developing MS.

Several factors may increase the risk of developing MS, including:

• age. MS can occur at any age, but it most commonly affects people between the ages of 15 and 60 years.
• sex. Women are about twice as likely as men are to develop MS.
• family history. If a parent or sibling has had MS, you are at higher risk of developing the disease.
• certain infections. A variety of viruses have been linked to MS, including Epstein-Barr, the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis.
• race. White people, particularly those of Northern European descent, are at highest risk of developing MS. People of Asian, African or Native American descent have the lowest risk.
• climate. MS is far more common in countries with temperate climates, including Canada, the northern United States, New Zealand, southeastern Australia and Europe.
• certain autoimmune diseases. You have a slightly higher risk of developing MS if you have thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, or inflammatory bowel disease.
• smoking. Smokers who experience an initial event of symptoms that may signal MS are more likely than nonsmokers to develop a second event that confirms relapsing-remitting MS.

See a doctor for unexplained numbness or weakness, vision changes, balance problems, or dizziness that lasts. Early diagnosis and treatment can slow the disease and reduce relapses.