Multiple sclerosis: what is it?
Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that affects up to 350,000 people in the United States. Multiple sclerosis is believed to occur when the body’s immune system attacks the fatty tissues that form sheaths around nerve fibers on the central nervous system, which is comprised of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. When these fatty sheaths are broken down, the exposed nerve fibers begin growing scar tissue for protection. This scarring can cause interruptions in the signals sent back and forth between the brain and other parts of the body. As a result, people with multiple sclerosis experience a wide range of problems including fatigue, muscle spasms, loss of balance and difficulty moving.
Multiple sclerosis can develop in anyone. The disease has been diagnosed in both young children and the elderly, but new cases of multiple sclerosis are found in people ages of 20 and 40. There are four different types of multiple sclerosis, and each type will affect people differently based on their bodies, ages, medical histories and overall health. Clinical researchers continue to learn about this complex neurological disease, but they’ve concluded that multiple sclerosis is experienced differently by each patient.
Types of multiple sclerosis
There are four main types of multiple sclerosis. These are:
- Relapsing-Remitting MS: The most common type of multiple sclerosis, this form of the disease is characterized by periods of worsening neurologic functions followed by remissions during which the disease stops progressing. Patients may even recover lost functions during these periods of remission. This is the least severe form of multiple sclerosis, but people with this form of the illness may shift to a more harmful stage later on in life.
- Primary-Progressive MS: Patients with this type of multiple sclerosis experience steadily worsening neurological functions but at a very slow rate. Unlike relapsing-remitting MS, there are no apparent remissions with this form of the disease. Only 10 percent of all patients with multiple sclerosis are diagnosed with this form of the illness.
- Secondary-Progressive MS: In the past, roughly half of all patients with relapsing-remitting MS eventually developed this more serious form of the illness. With secondary-progressive MS, the patient loses neurological functioning at a more rapid rate while experiencing fewer pronounced flare-ups or periods of remission. Clinical researchers are working on medications on treatments with the goal of preventing this stage of the illness from setting in.
- Progressive-Relapsing MS: This is the most severe and most rare form of multiple sclerosis. The disease progresses rapidly from the beginning, with short bursts of increasingly worsening neurological functioning.
What causes multiple sclerosis?
Much has been discovered about multiple sclerosis, but many mysteries remain about this potentially disabling disease. Researchers still don’t know what causes multiple sclerosis to occur. Some health experts believe the condition may be somewhat hereditary, while others believe infections may cause multiple sclerosis to occur. Environmental risk factors including smoking, chemicals and even lack of sunlight are also believed to contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis.
In addition to the cause remaining unknown, there are also no detectable symptoms or diagnostic tests that specifically point to the presence of multiple sclerosis. As a result, many people who are affected by the disease go for years without being properly diagnosed.
