The different types of MS.

There are four main types of MS, and a great deal of variation within each.

MS shows up differently in each person. Some people are only mildly affected throughout their lives. A few people deteriorate rapidly from the beginning and may die early. Most people with MS experience something between these two extremes.

Benign MS

This starts with a small number of mild attacks followed by complete recovery. It does not worsen over time and there is no permanent disability. The first symptoms usually affect sight or sensation.

People are only classified as having benign MS when they have a little sign of disability 10 to 15 years after the first onset of symptoms. However, disability may occasionally develop after many years in which the disease has been inactive. Around 20 per cent of people with MS have the benign form.

Relapsing-remitting MS

For most people MS starts as the relapsing-remitting type. This means they have relapses (a flare-up of symptoms), followed by remissions (periods of recovery).

Relapses (also known as attacks or exacerbations) tend to be unpredictable and their causes are unclear. They can last for hours, days, weeks or months, and vary from mild to severe. During a relapse new symptoms may occur, or previous symptoms may return. At their worst, acute relapses may need hospital treatment.

Remissions can last any length of time - even years. No one knows exactly what makes MS go into remission there may still be plaques visible on MRI scan.

In the early stages of relapsing-remitting MS, symptoms usually disappear during remissions. However, after several attacks there may be some residual damage to myelin, resulting in the person being slightly more affected than before the relapse. Around 25 per cent of people with MS have the relapsing-remitting form.

Secondary progressive MS

Many people who start out with relapsing-remitting MS later develop a form known as secondary progressive. This means that disability does not go away after a relapse and progressively worsens between attacks, or that the cycle of attack followed by a steady progression of disability.

Around 40 per cent of people with MS develop the secondary progressive form, usually about 15 to 20 years after the initial onset of MS.

Primary Progressive MS

Some people with MS never have distinct relapses and remissions. From the start they experience steadily worsening symptoms and progressive disability. This may level off at any time or may continue to get worse.

Around 15 per cent of people with MS have the primary progressive form of the disease, which is also known as chronic progressive.

top of page