Disabling Disorders: Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, is one of humankind’s most mysterious diseases. No one knows the exact cause and there is no exact treatment. Still multiple sclerosis has the ability to affect nearly 3 million people worldwide and at least 500,000 people in the United States (Boroch). This disease tends to be more common in individuals of northern European descent and women are more than twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis as men. Of those 3 million people, most of them are between the ages of 20 and 50 years old (Dangond). Even though multiple sclerosis is a mystery disease, scientists are working to determine the exact cause and treatment.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, progressive neurological disease affecting all aspects of life: physical, cognitive, emotional, and social (Abma). It is known as an autoimmune disease, Where the body’s immune system turns against the body and destroys the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. This damage to the nerve cells causes many problems for the patient including weakness, muscle stiffness, poor coordination and balance, tingling, numbness, tremors, blurred vision, slurred speech, and memory and concentration problems (Bren)

In regards to treatment for Multiple Sclerosis, there are a number of medication that have been shown to slow down the rate of MS. Many therapeutic and technological options are available to help people manage and control some of their symptoms. Advances are made every year in treating and managing MS to stop disease progression and restore lost function.

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)

To scientists, this suggests that exposure to some environmental agent before puberty may cause a predisposition for MS later on in life. There is also evidence that suggests that vitamin D may play a role. This could explain the previous statement that MS occurs more frequently farther from the equator, since that area frequently receives more sunlight which aids in the synthesis of Vitamin D. This possibility is now being studied by a society-funded epidemiological study in Australia [2]. There is also the possibility that a virus earlier on in life may cause, or trigger, MS. Viruses are known to cause inflammation and a breakdown of myelin, so it is possible that a virus that breakdowns myelin may trigger MS. Viruses currently being researched are measles, Human Herpes Virus-6, and Epstein-Barr [3]. Genetically, several different genes are believed to have a role in MS. According the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, if one parent has Multiple Sclerosis, the risk of their child or children getting the same disease is approximately two to five percent [3].

Genetic and environmental factors seem to intervene in the development of the disease. The symptoms vary and are dependent on the damage level but people affected can loose the ability to walk independently in the worst case, they can also experience numbness, vision problems, tingling and pain, electric shock sensations... etc. Multiple sclerosis cannot be cured, but the actual treatments take care of the symptoms and the evolution of the disease. Some known molecules and drugs are glatiramer acetate that block the attack on the myelin, fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate, …etc but there is still a lot of side effects with those drugs and the research on this disease is still very

There are a great number of studies had been conducted to explain the epidemiology of this multiple sclerosis. Some believes that the distribution of this disease is based on the climatic while other assume that it is related to patterns migration and ancestry. Some also believes that it is related to socioeconomic issues that evade awareness and diagnoses.

Imagine a world where you have been diagnosed with a disease that has no cure and left your world upside down because your body has turned against you. Multiple Sclerosis is a potentially debilitating disease that is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the Myelin sheath of nerve fibers throughout the body (Multiple Sclerosis, 2017). This, in turn, creates miscommunication or lack of communication in the body, which can eventually lead to permanent disability. For those who are diagnosed, there are various symptoms to watch for and while not curable, it is treatable.

Multiple Sclerosis is hard to diagnose; early signs of MS are non-specific and the individual may appear to have another disease (“NMSS,” 2012). It is still unclear how multiple sclerosis is inherited, although the disease does appear to be passed down over family generations. Most people exhibit symptoms for the disease between the ages of 20-40 years old; symptoms can vary depending on the individual and can range anywhere from mild to extremely painful (“NINDS,” 2015). People manage their symptoms in different ways including prescription

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder affecting movements, sensation and bodily functions. The cause of MS is by the myelin sheath being destroyed in the brain and spinal cord. The immune system attacks myelin sheaths which is a fatty substances that surrounds the nerve axons that makes it possible for the transmission of nerve impulses. When the myelin sheath are destroyed the nerves impulses that are being triggered to the brain and spinal cord get out of disrupted that provoke the messages to become slower and less efficiently. There are four types of MS people could experience which are Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), Secondary –progessive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), Progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis (

Treatments for this disease mainly focus on speeding recovery from attacks, slowing the progression of the disease, and managing MS symptoms. Some people have such mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary. Some therapies that help with the symptoms of MS include: counseling, support groups, physical therapy, and acupuncture. There are no preventative measures a person can take to avoid multiple sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a lifelong disorder of the central nervous system: that consist of the brain and spinal cord. MS is known as an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks myelin sheath. The myelin sheath is the cover that protects the nerve cells. When the myelin is damaged, messages between the brain and the whole body get disrupt. MS is more probable to affect people between the ages of 20 to 40 years. The effects of the disease vary for everybody who suffers from it. Depending on this the disease may progress rapidly or slowly. MS has four different categories of progressing. Unfortunately, MS is an incurable disease, but treatments such as medication and physical therapy can help comfort and regulate the symptoms. In this essay, I will talk about the progression of the four types of MS and the stages of diagnosis.

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that commonly found in individuals between the ages of 20 and 40. While men with MS tend to have a faster progressing disease, women are more likely than men to develop it. MS comes in many forms due to the extent of the damage and the amount of lesions, along with how quickly it progresses. All of this collectively forms the MS community today and has resulted in new test methods and forms of treatment developed to both help relieve the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. This research paper will go through what causes a person to develop MS, what is going on within the body that causes the symptoms people experience,

The first written report of multiple sclerosis was in 1400, when Lydwina of Schieden was diagnosed. The disease was described clinically by Jean-Martin Charcot in 1877. He recognized that the disease affected the nervous system and tried remedies, with no success. In 1890, suppression of sweat was thought to be the cause of multiple sclerosis, treatment was electrical stimulation and bed rest. By 1910, multiple sclerosis was thought to be caused by toxins in blood. In the 1930s, poor circulation was yet again believed to cause multiple sclerosis. In the 1950s through the 1970s, multiple sclerosis was thought to be causes by allergies. It wasn’t until the 1980s when multiple sclerosis was finally understood and treatment was developed (Campanella and Zawada).

Environment, lifestyles, vitamins and even genetics don’t play a role in this disease. MS is classified into four types: relapsing-remitting disease (RRMS), primary progressive (PPMS), secondary progressive (SPMS) and lastly progressive relapsing (PRMS). In the RRMS stage, patients symptoms respond to treatment then resolve. In PPMS stage, the symptoms progress over time without remission or improvement. The SPMS stage is when exacerbation doesn’t fully resolve during the remission. In time, the patient continues with progressive debility. During the PRMS phase, the patient experiences escalating symptoms as well as intermittent episodes of remissions. There is medicine that can help slow down the progression of MS and help control the symptoms but not cure multiple