Multiple Sclerosis Fast Facts

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive disease of the nervous system that can cause severe, and sometimes debilitating, symptoms. Let’s take a look at some of the key facts to help gain a better understanding of this mysterious and devastating disease:

• MS causes damage to the protective myelin sheaths surrounding the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. This causes interruptions in the nerve signals.
• MS is classified as an autoimmune disease, because it is understood that the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin.
• MS is relatively rare, afflicting an estimated 400,000 people in the United States and 2.5 million people worldwide.
• People with other autoimmune conditions like type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease are more likely to develop MS.
• Like many autoimmune diseases, MS is much more prevalent in women than men.
• It is suspected that MS is caused or triggered by a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as certain viral infections or vitamin deficiencies.
• MS usually follows a course that includes multiple flares followed by periods of better health (known as remissions).
• There are different types of MS, but the most common type is relapsing-remitting, where symptoms sometimes recede with the help of certain medication.
• Contrary to decades ago, there are many viable treatment options available today for MS including corticosteroid treatment and DMARD (disease modifying antirheumatic drug) options that can really help alter the trajectory of the disease.
• MS can have widely varying symptoms ranging from mild to disabling. Some of the main symptoms include: fatigue, confusion or fogginess, depression, speech difficulty, dizziness, vision problems, numbness of the extremities, bowel or bladder dysfunction, inflammation, facial numbness and tingling, muscle spasms and pain.
• When diagnoses is made and treatment starts early in the disease, there will more likely be a better outcome.
• Even though some MS sufferers are wheelchair-bound, the majority of MS sufferers will not be significantly disabled.
• MS appears to be most prevalent in more polar areas of the world (further north or south of the equator).
• The diagnostic process of MS can be long and convoluted. It may involve years of testing and multiple different specialists. Some people get a quick, straightforward diagnosis but for many it can be a long, hard road.
• MS is usually diagnosed in middle-adulthood but can occur or be discovered at any age.
• MS is not a terminal condition, but it can cause many complications. People with MS live an average of 6-7 years less than the general population.
• MS does not usually interfere with pregnancy, and pregnancy doesn’t usually impact the course of the disease either way.
• There is currently no cure for MS, but medical researchers are still at work to find one.
• As with many autoimmune diseases, a person can be suffering with a difficult case of MS but it may not be apparent to the average onlooker. So, always be kind, you never know what someone is going through!

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