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What is Multiple Sclerosis? |
What causes MS? |
Who gets MS?
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of unknown cause that affects the central nervous system. The disease is characterized by recurrent attacks of neurological dysfunction due to lesions in the white matter of the central nervous system. It may cause problems with vision, strength, coordination, speech, bladder control, sensation, or other faculties governed by the eyes, brain, or spinal cord. Most people with multiple sclerosis are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40. The types of problems caused by this disease and the severity of those problems vary greatly from person to person. Precisely how many people the disease affects is unknown, but more than 1 in 1000 people in the United States carries the diagnosis.
Most aspects of Multiple Sclerosis, including its cause and cure, remain a mystery.
What we do know is that MS strikes only the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and the spinal cord. When the brain sends and receives signals, the spinal cord disperses them to and from different parts of the body via a network of nerves. These nerves are surrounded by insulating matter called myelin. Myelin is a soft, white, fatty substance, which forms a protective sheath. In Multiple Sclerosis, the myelin breaks down and is replaced by scar tissue. When this demyelination happens, signals to the central nervous system can be slowed or even blocked, impairing functions such as vision, strength, memory or coordination. An important characteristic of myelin is its ability to repair itself. Re-myelination is one of the reasons that MS is usually associated with many attacks, often referred to as exacerbations, which can be followed by recoveries or remissions. Many characteristics of MS suggest an auto-immune disease, which means that the body actually attacks its own cells and tissues. No one knows what actually causes MS, but we do know it is an acquired disease. It is not contagious in any form. Your friends and family cannot catch it from you. MS is not an inherited disease, nor is it genetically transmitted. There does appear to be some genetic susceptibility, however, which would explain the slightly higher risk for families where Multiple Sclerosis has appeared before.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common disabling neurological diseases among young adults.
There are an estimated 350,000 cases of MS in the United States, and this number is expected to increase by 10,000 new cases each year. The volumes of facts and figures available give Multiple Sclerosis an intriguing profile.
Age
The average age of onset is 25 - 35.
Gender
MS occurs more frequently in women than men - about 3 women for every 2 men.
Socioeconomic Factors
Since it is most common to the upper echelons of society, it has acquired the nickname of the "elitist" disease.
Race
It is more prevalent in whites than any other race - in fact Asians appear to be virtually immune to the disease.
(source: MSAwareness)
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