Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a type of autoimmune disorder
, involving abnormal activity of the immune system, which turns against healthy body cells instead of fighting against intruding infectious agents. The body cells which are primarily targeted by the immune system in the case of patients with multiple sclerosis are nerve cells. In fact, the autoimmune response of the body doesn't destroy nerve cells directly; the dysfunctional immune system produces antibodies that destroy myelin, a protein that wraps around the cells of the nervous system, facilitating the communication between the central nervous system (CNS - brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nerves and vice versa.
Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease of the central nervous system that also involves the peripheral nerves of the brain and spinal cord. At present, the specific causes of multiple sclerosis are unknown, and thus the disease can't be efficiently prevented or cured. However, the good news is that multiple sclerosis is not a life-threatening disease and that the existing treatments can successfully keep its generated symptoms under control. With the aid of an appropriate course of treatment, the progression of the disease can be slowed down and patients with multiple sclerosis can live active, normal lives.
At first, multiple sclerosis causes impairments only at the level of the central nervous system. In more advanced stages of progression, multiple sclerosis can involve virtually any innervated region of the body (any part of the body that contains a network of nerves). Without proper medical treatment - which is most effective when administered in early stages of disease - multiple sclerosis can cause a variety of disabilities and sometimes even death.
What are the types of multiple sclerosis?
There are four main kinds of multiple sclerosis, with symptoms varying in severity. These are:
Benign
Relapsing/remitting (RRMS)
Secondary progressive (SPMS)
Primary progressive
People with benign multiple sclerosis may have the occasional attack while feeling perfectly healthy at other times. They suffer only a mild disability or no disability at all though medical examination shows evidence of multiple sclerosis damage to the brain. The lack of disability is because the damage may be in places in the brain that do not cause obvious disability or the damage is minimal.
More than fifty percent of sufferers start with relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis in which they may suffer relapses two or three times a year with partial or complete recovery at other times. However, due to the gradual death of nerve cells and the myelin, the symptoms may get worse and more frequent. This takes them into the stage of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS).
In secondary progressive multiple sclerosis or SPMS, the disability increases as there is a progressive loss of nerve cells. During this stage, the sufferer no longer has relapses and remissions and the disability becomes progressively worse.
There are some people who become more and more disabled without ever having relapses and remissions. This type of multiple sclerosis is called primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis symptomatic spectrum - Multiple sclerosis can affect virtually any level of the body, generating a wide range of symptoms. The most common physical signs of multiple sclerosis are: muscle pain, inflammation, numbness, weakness; poor body mobility; pronounced fatigue; loss of dexterity; poor balance; poorly coordinated moves; decreased vision. Common neuropsychological signs of multiple sclerosis are: lack of concentration; poor mental performance; short-term memory loss; compromised judgment. In extreme cases, multiple sclerosis can even lead to depression, mania and dementia.
Multiple sclerosis diagnosis - Multiple sclerosis is diagnosed upon elaborate physical and neuropsychological examinations, as well as specific medical procedures and laboratory tests. Common means of diagnosing multiple sclerosis are MRI scans and lumbar puncture, procedures which can reveal possible damage of myelin.
Multiple sclerosis treatment options - Multiple sclerosis medical treatments are usually individualized according to the patients' experienced symptoms. Multiple sclerosis treatments commonly involve the use of beta interferon, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. These medications can alleviate most physical symptoms generated by multiple sclerosis, also preventing their recurrence. When the disease affects the cognitive functions of the body, commonly prescribed medications are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Central Nervous System Stimulants.
by: alena jones
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