Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS), chronic, unpredictable, and often progressive disease of the central nervous system that attacks and destroys tissues in the brain and spinal cord. There are several forms of MS, but all forms affect nerve function, resulting in problems ranging from mild numbness and difficulty walking to paralysis and blindness. Although MS can occur at almost any age, the disease usually strikes people who are between the ages of 20 and 40. For unknown reasons, MS is more common in Caucasians, women, and people living in temperate, rather than tropical, climates.

The cause of MS is unknown, but genetics, an infectious agent, a faulty immune system, or a combination of these factors appears to play a role in why a person contracts the disease. MS is thought to occur in people who have a genetic susceptibility for the disease, demonstrated by cases of MS occurring within the same family too frequently to be accounted for simply by chance. However, studies of identical twins imply that a genetic predisposition is not the sole cause. A genetically susceptible person must encounter a second factor that will later trigger the development of MS.

Symptoms include weakness, tingling, numbness, fatigue, incoordination, balance and vision problems, tremors, muscle stiffness known as spasticity, slurred speech, depression, bowel or bladder problems, sexual dysfunction, problems with memory or reasoning, and partial or complete paralysis. Although MS can cause severe discomfort and disability, it does not usually shorten life span.

MS can be difficult to diagnose, as no single laboratory test clearly identifies the disease. It is primarily diagnosed by reviewing a person’s medical history and giving a neurological exam that tests for abnormal reflexes, muscle weakness or incoordination, alterations of sensation, damage to the optic nerve, and other signs of brain or spinal cord damage.