health conditions Post

An introduction to multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis or MS is a long-lasting disease of the central nervous system affecting the optic nerves in the eyes, the spinal cord, and the brain. It can cause issues and difficulties with balance, vision, muscle control and other body functions. In multiple sclerosis, the body’s own immune system attacks myelin, which is the protective sheath that covers the nerve fibers, which in turn affects the way the brain communicates with the body. Over time, the disease can cause the nerves to degenerate or become damaged permanently and has no cure. Multiple sclerosis has a disease course that follows a cycle that is relapse-remitting in nature. Thus, the patients end up experiencing periods of new signs, symptoms or deteriorations which end up taking many days or weeks and usually improve only partially or completely. Disease remission follows these relapses and can last for months or even years. Doctors are yet to figure out the cause for multiple sclerosis but there are many risk factors that seem to make the disease more likely. Some of them are: It commonly affects people between the ages of 15 and 60 If one of your parents or siblings has had multiple sclerosis Smoking Women (2x more likely than men) Some viruses have been linked to multiple sclerosis, like the Epstein-Barr virus MS is far commoner in countries with temperate climates, including some parts of Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Canada Certain autoimmune diseases thyroid disease or type 1 diabetes can leave you with a higher risk of getting multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis has many symptoms and they vary depending on the amount of nerve damage and the type of nerves that are affected.