What exactly is "MS"?

Question

I know somethings about it, but i'd like to know more

Answer 1

Like you already heard, MS, or Multiple Sclerosis, is an autoimmune disease. That's a disease where your own immune system turns on your body and starts attacking it.

Your immune system goes a little haywire in MS and starts attacking the myelin sheath, or the protective fatty coating, of nerve fibers in the CNS (Central Nervous System). Under most circumstances, those white blood cells can never make it across the BBB (blood-brain barrier), but for some unknown reason, in MS exactly this happens. When they are through attacking a certain portion of the CNS, a hard plaque-like scar (or sclerosis) appears in place of the myelin (thus the name Multiple Sclerosis, or many scars).

Once the nerve fiber is damaged in this way, electrical signals to and from the brain do not flow as well as they used to, causing the symptoms of MS. They are many and are different for each person who has MS, but there are some common ones: fatigue, bowel/bladder problems, balance problems, pain and/or loss of feeling in hands and feet, vision problems, and memory problems. More advanced cases can include other symptoms such as breathing or swallowing difficulties, which can also cause secondary symptoms. For example, the bladder control issues can cause kidney disease and possible kidney failure. In a very small percentage of patients, these secondary symptoms can be fatal.

However, the very large majority of MS sufferers will go on to live a full life and will simply deal with the symptoms as they appear. Sometimes, corticosteroids are used to help lessen the symptoms, but usually there is not much you can do when you experience a relapse (or an exacerbation) for people who have the Relapsing-Remitting form of the disease. This accounts for the largest portion of people with MS. The other forms of the disease include the Progressive forms of the disease (Primary Progressive and Secondary-Progressive), and the rarest form, Progressive Relapsing). The Relapsing forms of the disease have distinct periods of relapse (a symptom) and remission (when the symptom goes away). The Progressive forms of the disease do not show that relapse-remit cycle, but progressively get worse over time. Women are diagnosed two to three times as often as men, and the largest demographic are Whites of Northern European descent. Blacks and Hispanics are not immune, but are affected at lower rates.

Without any treatment, 50% of RRMS patients will advance to Secondary-Progressive MS within 10 years. There are treatments available that will slow the progression of the disease and lessen its affects. Interferons and synthetic proteins (such as Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, and Rebif) are used in the Relapsing forms of the disease and Novantrone (a cancer drug) can be used in the Progressive forms. There are no regenerative medications (that could possibly regenerate damaged nerves).

We don't really know what causes MS (and thus there is currently no cure for MS), but there are things that probably cause it. There is a genetic factor involved, as well as a geographic location where you spent your childhood. Finally, they believe that exposure to some sort of environmental agent (the elusive viral trigger) causes the symptoms to appear.

For more information, take a look at the National MS Society website.

HTH

Answer 2

MS is a neurological disease that is classified into a few groups. Some are worse than others, but all are serious. The basis is that the myelin sheath of the axon on the neurons is slowly over time removed. This causes pain, spasms, loss of motor funtion, etc. Not a fun disease, and while there is no cure there are treatments to treat symptoms and to slow it down a bit.

Answer 3

Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS, also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is a chronic, inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). MS can cause a variety of symptoms, including changes in sensation, visual problems, muscle weakness, depression, difficulties with coordination and speech, severe fatigue, and pain. MS will cause impaired mobility and disability in more severe cases.

Answer 4

Multiple (or better Disseminated) Sclerosis is a disease of the nervous system of unknown cause. It is one of the demyelinating
diseases....myelin is the fatty coat around each nerve fiber and acts as insulation so nerve impulses don't jump between nerve fibers. In DS, the myelin disappears in spots causing malfunction of the nerve and is responsible for the appearance of symptoms in different parts of the body. In many cases the symptoms are temporary and there can be long periods between attacks.