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Multiple Sclerosis Essay

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Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder where the myelin sheath within the Central Nervous System is attacked (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2017). The myelin sheath protects the axon of the nerve cell. When the myelin sheath is intact, the axon is able to carry impulses away from the neuron’s cell body, and the message carried is clear. With Multiple Sclerosis, the myelin sheath becomes scarred, hence the word “sclerosis”, and distorts the nerve impulses traveling over the CNS (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2017). This may cause the message to be changed or stopped altogether.
This disorder affects an estimated 2.3 million people around the world (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2017) and 400,000 people in the US …show more content…

MS can cause debilitating pain that may leave with temporary symptoms or may be permanent (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2017). One third of all patients with MS will suffer from transient symptoms, rather than enduring (NIH, 2013). After 15 years on onset MS, 20 percent of patients are bedridden or institutionalized, and another 20 percent require assistance walking with a wheelchair or other aide (NIH, 2013).
There is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis (Mayo Clinic, 2017). Most treatment is focused on improving quality of life by treating symptoms and slowing its progression. There are a few drugs to help slow progression, most of which are for relapsing-remitting MS (Mayo Clinic, 2017). In March of this year, the FDA approved the first drug for primary-progressive MS (FDA, 2017), called ocrelizumab, which slows the advancement of disability (Mayo Clinic, 2017). Ocrelizumab may cause infusion related reactions, such as hives, shortness of breath, fever, etc, and may lead to an upper respiratory tract infection (FDA, 2017). Acute relapses are treated with corticosteroids to reduce nerve inflammation, a traditional and approved method of treatment. (NIH, 2013). To treat symptoms, those with MS may go to physical therapy to help strengthen muscles and manage gait problems (Mayo Clinic, 2017). They may also use muscle relaxers to treat extremely painful

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