Chronic Autoimmune Disease: Multiple Sclerosis

With any disease come many misconceptions and myths. When an individual tells someone else that they have MS they might get a response that MS with cripple them in some way (Blackstone). For some reason, individuals believe that when some has MS they should be in a wheel chair. That is not the case. Actually, it depends on the person. Some people go their whole life without ever needing

a. Support: Common indicators of MS are fatigue, dizziness, numbness and tingling, weakness, blurred vision, heat sensitivity, slurred speech, problems with memory and concentration,

MS is characterized by the destruction of myelin, inflammation in the CNS and the formation of lesions in the CNS.

Most MS patients start with the development of transient sensory loss due to the demyelination of the dorsal column, which may progress to motor symptoms including limb muscles weakness or muscle spasticity due the demyelinationg of the upper motor fibres such as corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts. Leg

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease of the central nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Both have nerve fibers that are wrapped in a myelin sheath. In MS, the myelin sheath becomes inflamed and gradually is destroyed. With the destruction of the myelin sheath comes an array of symptoms that may include numbness or tingling, balance problems, weakness, muscle spasms, and blurred vision.

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease of the central nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Both have nerve fibers that are wrapped in a myelin sheath. In MS, the myelin sheath becomes inflamed and gradually is destroyed. With the destruction of the myelin sheath comes an array of symptoms that may include numbness or tingling, balance problems, weakness, muscle spasms, and blurred vision.

Other symptoms include spasms. One spasm is known as the “drop foot.” A person could be casually walking and suddenly, his or her foot can basically shut down and drop. Spasms usually result in muscle stiffness and uncontrollable jerk-movements, according to Healthline Editorial Team, George Krucik, MD, MBA , Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis, January 25, 2013. Another common symptom would be fatigue. This fatigue remains constant due to the deterioration of the central nervous system. With fatigue also comes muscle weakness, loss of motion and touch, which mostly occurs in the hands and legs. A few other symptoms include short-term memory loss, slurred speech,

Having the disease multiple sclerosis can affect one's life tremendously. In the essay, "On Being A Cripple", the author Nancy Mairs suffers from the disease and has a love-hate relationship with it. Socially, it appears that although Mairs has the disease, she accepts it and does normal things like going on vacations with her family. However, personally, it's hard for her at times and she gets into a depressed state and wishes she didn't have the disease when she has a falling or an incident. Multiple Sclerosis, also referred to as “MS”, is a disease that can affect one's brain, spinal cord, and eyes.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system. The myelinated nerve cells get attacked which results in scars and lesions that destroy the myelin sheath. The reason for the body attacking its own nerve cells is unknown. Many believe that the cause of MS is from a virus, a deficiency in Vitamin D, or genetics. Studies are being done to find out what is the real cause of MS.

Multiple Sclerosis, commonly known as MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Scientists have been studying MS since the 19th century. In MS, the body’s immune system produces cells and antibodies that attack myelin in your brain which is essential for the nerves in your brain and spinal cord to conduct electricity to perform its function. The attack on myelin results in vison loss, paralysis, numbness, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, stiffness, spasms, and bladder and bowel problems. MS has varying degrees of severity and affects people between the ages of 20-50, mostly women. Although there are treatments, there is no cause and cure yet.

While this may sound like an autoimmune disease, scientists are still unsure about what antigen the immune cells are attracted to attack, meaning it is “immune-mediated” as opposed to “autoimmune” (Evidence). This, like many components to MS, remains a mystery, and researchers are still discovering and advancing what we know about the disease.

If you know anyone with Multiple Sclerosis or MS, you would know how terrible the disease is. Multiple Sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which your immune system attacks the nerve cell covers in the brain and spine are damaged. The nerves in the body eventually deteriorate and it is fatal. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the cause of Multiple sclerosis is still unknown. There is not a cure at the moment for Multiple Sclerosis, but there are treatments that can speed recovery when attacked by the disease (Mayo Clinic). Scientists are under the impressions that there are a few factors that may come into play. They say that when they discover the exact cause of Multiple Sclerosis it will be easier to find a way to treat the disease or maybe even stop it from happening at all. (National Multiple Sclerosis Society)

Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that is very painful for both the patient and care giver. In the disease, there is inflammation and neurodegeneration acting at the same time. There is currently no known primary cause of multiple sclerosis. The disease is however characterized by damaged fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and the spinal cord. Myelin is a mixture of proteins and phospholipids that protects many nerve fibers enabling speed at which impulses are conducted. It is pathologically characterized as the presence of glial scars all over in the central nervous system. The disease was discovered by the French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot in 1868 when he examined the brain

The main cause of MS is yet to be known, researchers have suggested that MS is a demyelinating disease. Here myelin gets degenerated. Myelin is a material which is composed of fats and provides insulation for the nerves. This insulation of fat contributes in transmission of impulses with very high speed, allowing people to move almost without thinking. Therefore, when this myelin sheath is not present it cause a short circuiting like case and the person cannot move rapidly, smoothly and coordinate movements. According to researchers the immune system mistakes the myelin as a foreign body and attacks to destroy this myelin. It is not known yet what triggers the immune system but it is thought to be a combination of many factors. Among a few theories a virus that lies dormant in the body plays a major role in the causing of this disease by disturbing the immune system or indirectly contribute to the autoimmunity. Another one of the theories also says that it is not because of any specific virus but a common virus like herpes or measles which activates the

Multiple Sclerosis affects more people than most would think. MS is an unpredictable disease that attacks the central nervous system but it is a difficult disease to diagnose due to multiple unknown factors. Each diagnosed case of MS is unique depending upon factors given by the patient. Understanding the different courses of Multiple Sclerosis, early diagnosis and the treatments of the disease all play an important role in bringing awareness of MS. Learning about Multiple Sclerosis can bring opportunities for patients, family and friends such as planned events like the MS Walk. For now there is no cure but raising awareness is the first step to finding one.