Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS), is a chronic, disabling disease of the central nervous system. It is a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system degenerate. Myelin, which provides a covering or insulation for nerves, improves the conduction of impulses along the nerves and also is important for maintaining the health of the nerves. In MS, inflammation causes the myelin to degenerate and eventually disappear. Consequently, the electrical impulses that travel along the nerves decelerate. Late in the disease, the nerves themselves are damaged. As more and more nerves are affected, a patient experiences a progressive interference with functions that are controlled by the nervous system such as vision, speech, walking, writing, and memory. Mostly people experience their first symptoms of MS between the ages of 20 and 40, however it has been diagnosed as early as 15 and as late as 60.

Symptoms
The symptoms of the disease can be varied, and can range from mild to severe in intensity and short to long in duration. Patients with multiple sclerosis can go into remission, experiencing none of the typical symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and function normally for long periods of time. Other patients continually experience symptoms in varying degrees. Multiple sclerosis is not a fatal disease but its symptoms can greatly impact the person's quality of life.

• Vision impairment
• Weakness and exhaustion
• Loss of coordination
• Difficulty with walking
• Memory loss
• Tingling and numbness of the skin and limbs
• Dizziness
• Depression

Causes
The cause of MS is unknown. Researchers have focused on disorders of the immune system and genetics for explanation. The immune system is the body's defender and is highly organized and regulated. If triggered by an aggressor or foreign object, the immune system mounts a defensive action which identifies and attacks the invader and then withdraws. This process depends upon rapid communication among the immune cells and the production of cells that can destroy the intruder. In MS, researchers suspect that a foreign object such as a virus or an abnormal gene alters myelin or the immune system so that the immune system perceives myelin as an intruder and attacks it.

Treatment
Multiple sclerosis treatments can include medications, chemotherapy or even a new MRI devoted to neurological imaging. There are approved drugs for multiple sclerosis treatment. Generally speaking, most physicians prescribe steroid medications to patients with multiple sclerosis to reduce the inflammation of the nerve tissue. For certain patients, chemotherapy can be used as a treatment to interfere with the immune system that is attacking itself.