Multiple Sclerosis Research Paper

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

This can wreak havoc on a person’s emotional state, which Mairs comments, “I am immobilized by acute attacks of depression, which may or may not be physiologically related to MS but are certainly its logical concomitant” (Mairs 67). In addition to the unpredictable physical losses that one can sustain from MS - including vision, coordination, and bladder control - one can also lose their will to live a normal life. Mairs discusses the lives of two women who share the same disease, one of which, “...stays at home and insists that her husband, a small quiet man, a retired civil servant, stay there with her except for a quick weekly foray to the supermarket” (71). The other woman has an active life and tries to participate in as many activities as she would without the disease. Mairs aspires to live like the second woman as her life progresses, but the first woman has obviously lost her mental battle with the disease. Since there is no known cure for MS, the only thing that one who is diagnosed can do is accept that their life will always be changing and it will never be easy. Towards the beginning of her disease, she thought about MS constantly and wondered when the time would come that she would no longer be physically capable of killing herself. Once she learned that she would never finish adjusting, she was able to come to an uneasy peace with her condition. Besides the

1. Main point 2: So now that I have talked about what MS is, let us continue on to what the symptoms are and how it can be diagnosed. In most cases, the symptoms generally appear between the ages of 20 and 40 and affect more than twice as many women as men. Common indicators of MS are fatigue, dizziness, numbness and tingling, weakness, blurred vision, heat sensitivity, slurred speech, problems with memory and concentration, loss of balance and more. Sometimes the symptoms disappear completely and the person regains lost functions or sometimes a change in their life causes the symptoms to resurface and return stronger than ever. In my observations, my Dads’ MS is strongest in hot weather and during times of high stress. The symptoms normally vary from person to person, which makes it hard to diagnose. There are currently no lab tests that can be done to rule out or confirm MS, but MRI’s can help reach a strong diagnosis. MS is not considered a fatal disease, but many people struggle to live as productively as they desire, often facing many limitations.

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

It is suggested by previous studies that the damage of the myelin sheath in MS involves the activation of inflammatory factors including the CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, macrophages and microglia cells (Luccinetti et al., 1996; Lassmannet al., 2012). However, whether the immune response triggers the onset of MS, or is a consequence of the disease process is currently not clear. Interestingly, several recent studies suggested that the prevalence rate of MS is significantly increased with latitude, which implies that not only the geographical (environmental) differences but racial and ethnic differences may play a role in the worldwide MS distribution (Rosati, 2001; Simpson et al., 2011).

There are three different versions of multiple sclerosis (“What is MS?”). The least severe being relapsing-remitting; this occurs when a person has an attack and then there are no further

     The course of the disease is also uncertain. In general, though, the disease follows several known patterns. These patterns are grouped under the heading “chronic progressive MS.” Relapsing-remitting MS is a form of MS in which patients experience series of actively symptomatic periods called attacks followed by remissions. Secondary-progressive MS begins after RRMS. This disease advances progressively, marked by acute attacks. Primary-progressive MS is marked by a gradual worsening of symptoms, but the attacks are not acute. Patients may have temporary

In the world of neurology, there are a vast amount of neurological disorders, conditions, and diseases. One severe disease is known as Multiple Sclerosis. In this research essay, I will be discussing what multiple sclerosis is, symptoms, causes, personal experience, and treatments.

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.

MS(Multiple Sclerosis) is a disease which gradually hardens all tissues and also causes scars. These scars form when the persons immune system's cells go into the central nervous system and cause inflammation to the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. MS is also a non contagious and unpredictable disease. MS is also the most common chronic disease (when it comes to the CNS (Central Nervous System)) with young Australians. Throughout all the states of Australia, Victoria is the State with the most people that have the condition.

The most common Multiple Sclerosis symptoms are Fatigue, Numbness or Tingling, Dizziness, Slurred speech, Bladder problems, Bowel problems, Emotional changes, Cognitive changes, and Walking difficulties. It usually begin over a several days, but may also develop more slowly. MS can be mild or severe and may go away quickly or last for months. The disease is common to return, but it may get worse without periods of remission. Any Nerves that is part of the brain or the spinal cord can be damaged. Due to this, symptoms of MS may appear in any regions of the body. approximately 60 to 70% of people who has relapsing-remitting MS develops a steady progression of symptoms, with or without periods of

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.

However, some MS symptoms can be silent as the disease continues to progress, which makes treatment immediately after diagnosis highly important to reduce lesions sites and number caused by scarring to myelin tissue, dubbed plaques- which is where the name MS originated from (many scars). These scare can be detected and monitored through MRIs. (MSAA)

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

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disorder it is characterized by inflammation and destruction of CNS myelin. It affects approximately 350,000 persons in the united states and more than 1 million worldwide (Porth,2014). The age of onset is typically between 18 and 45 years of age. Women are affected twice more frequently than men.