What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders are diseases in which the body's immune system misinterprets a normal structure or function of a person's body as an alien object and begins to attack it, causing the disease. Other autoimmune disorders include rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

In multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the fatty tissue that surrounds the neurons in the brain and spinal cord. This tissue, called myelin, protects each neuron and allows each neuron to conduct its signals correctly through the brain or spinal cord. When the myelin is damaged, scar tissue, called scleroses, plaques or lesions, are formed. The lesions interfere with the neurons ability to conduct signals, impairing the brain's ability to send signals to the body and impairing the body's ability to function.

What initially triggers this autoimmune reaction that leads to MS remains unknown. Research has focused on the relationship of the immune system to the disease and the fact that it is more prevalent in countries further from the equator where less sunlight is available. This fact points to vitamin D deficiency as a possible factor in the development of MS, as vitamin D is an important regulator of the immune system. Genetic and viral factors are also current areas of research as possible causes of this disease.

MS usually occurs in young adulthood and is more common in women. It occurs more often in people who are Caucasian and live in countries further from the equator.

The primary symptoms of MS include nerve pain and impaired sensation in the extremities. A person may feel a pins and needles sensation in the affected extremity. Muscle strength and coordination may also be affected, resulting in impairments in a person's ability to move. The "drunk walk" may be an early symptom of muscular impairment in a person's legs. Visual impairments, sleep disorders, cognitive changes, emotional labiality or mood swings, and fatigue are also common symptoms. A person with MS may have difficulty regulating his or her body temperature and may be especially sensitive to heat, making the warm summer months difficult to tolerate.

Diagnosing MS is usually done through MRI of the brain to check for the lesions that indicate demylinated areas. These may not always show up in the early stages of the disease, and a person with MS may not always receive this diagnosis right away. MS symptoms are also similar to some other chronic diseases and a physician may choose to rule out other diagnoses first before pursuing an MS course of treatment.

There is no cure for MS, but several medications are known to slow the course of the disease and allow a person to maintain a functional life for years. All of these medications are injectible and a couple must be administered by intravenously by health professionals. Some have flu like side effects. Research is currently working on an effective oral medication, but this is not yet approved for general use.

People with MS are usually able to live a normal life span, but must learn to adapt to the disease and the changes it makes in their bodies as it progresses. Some people may be able to live most of their lives without becoming significantly disabled, while others may lose mobility, sensation, or vision. The course the disease will take is difficult to predict and varies greatly from person to person.

The amount of information available on multiple sclerosis is extensive and support is readily available in most areas. For more information on MS, please visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at http://www.nationalmssociety.org.

About the Author

Janet Meydam is an Occupational Therapist with 20 years of experience in the field. View her blog, Online OTR, for useful information on a variety of health related topics. http://onlineotr.blogspot.com