What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?
• Multiple sclerosis is a chronic unpredictable neurological disease affecting 2.5 million people worldwide. MS can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, stiffness, bladder problems and blindness. • Though most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, the unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be life long. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS vary greatly from person to person. • Because of the complexity of the disease, the cause and pathology of MS are still not known. As a result, scientists cannot predict when a cure for MS will be available. In fact, to date, no cure has been found for any neurological disease.
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by the destruction of the myelin sheath surrounding neurons, resulting in the formation of “plaques.” Because they involve the destruction of the myelin sheath that covers nerve tissue, diseases such as MS are known as “demyelinating” diseases. MS is a progressive and usually fluctuating disease with exacerbations (patients feeling worse) and remissions (patients feeling better) over many decades. Eventually, in most patients, remissions do not reach baseline levels and permanent disability and sometimes death occurs. The cause of MS is unknown. The most widely held hypothesis is that MS occurs in patients with a genetic susceptibility and is “triggered” by certain environmental factors. MS is 3 times more common in women than men, with diagnosis usually made as young adults. The concern that hepatitis B vaccination may cause MS or exacerbate it derived from case reports in France in which some individuals
