subject: Multiple sclerosis - how can ms affect the body ? [print this page] Multiple sclerosis - how can ms affect the body ?
Multiple sclerosis is a progressive, debilitating disease. MS is an unpredictable disease of the nervous system that disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body. It is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (which is made up of the brain , spinal cord , and optic nerves). Multiple sclerosis is not a fatal disease. MS is a potentially debilitating disease in which your body's immune system eats away at the protective sheath or myelin that covers the nerves. Multiple sclerosis is a progressive, debilitating disease. It is a disease that affects the transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system. It is the most common neurological disorder among adults involving central nervous system dysfunction. This interferes with the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. When the myelin is destroyed, nerve messages are sent more slowly and less efficiently.
Most people experience their first symptoms of MS between 18 - 45 years of age . About 400,000 Americans have MS, . The symptoms may mysteriously occur and then disappear. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. Still, MS symptoms can negatively affect quality of life.
Its effects can range from relatively mild in most cases to somewhat disabling to devastating. The natural course of multiple sclerosis is unpredictable. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Except in rare cases of severe disease, most people with multiple sclerosis have a normal or near-normal life span and usually die from the same conditions (heart disease, cancer) that affect the general population. In severe cases, a person who has MS may lose the ability to write, speak, or walk. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that's not reversible. Most people with MS will be able to continue to walk and function at their work for many years after their diagnosis. Some people are minimally affected by the disease while others experience rapid progress to total disability. It is difficult to predict how multiple sclerosis will progress in any one person.
The vast majority of patients with multiple sclerosis are mildly affected, but in the worst cases, multiple sclerosis can render a person unable to write, speak, or walk. The factors associated with the mildest course of MS are being female, having the relapsing-remitting form, having the first symptoms at a younger age, having longer periods of remission between relapses, and initial symptoms of decreased sensation or vision rather than of weakness or in-coordination. A physician can diagnose multiple sclerosis in some patients soon after the illness begins. The condition tends to be more common in white women and people who live in temperate climates. Multiple sclerosis is a central nervous system disorder affecting the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. It is a chronic, generally lifelong autoimmune disorder that affects women at nearly double the rate of men. It is a complicated disease, and the onset of symptoms cannot be predicted accurately - not even close. Some victims experience mild symptoms and some victims experience extreme symptoms. Multiple sclerosis is a disabling disease that affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. annually.
