What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) means "many" and "scars".

It is a condition of the central nervous system, and is the most common disabling neurological condition among young adults. Woman are almost twice as likely as men to develop MS.

Once diagnosed, MS stays with the person for life, but treatments and special care can help people to manage their symptoms well. There are probably at least 1000,00 people with obvious symptoms of MS in Great Britain alone.

Its causes are not yet known.

Quick Facts

MS is a progressive disease of the nervous system, for which there is no cure.
An estimated 2,500,000 people in the world have MS.
More women than men have MS, with a ratio of 2 men to 3 women affected.
MS is the most common diseases of the central nervous system in young adults.
There are four types of MS: benign, relapsing remitting, secondary progressive, primary progressive.
Sclerosis means scars, these are the plaques or lesions in the brain and spinal cord.
In MS, the protective myelin covering of the nerve fibres in the central nervous system is damaged.
Inflammation and ultimate loss of myelin causes disruption to nerve transmission and affects many functions of the body.
While the exact cause of MS is not known, much is known about its effect on immune system function which may be the ultimate cause of the disease.
MS is not directly hereditary, although genetic susceptibility plays a part in its development.
MS is not contagious.
Diagnosis of MS is generally between 20 and 40 years of age, although onset may be earlier.
MS is rarely diagnosed under 12 and over 55 years of age.
Life span is not significantly affected by MS.
There is a wide range of symptoms, of which fatigue is one of the most common.
The incidence of MS increases in countries further from the equator.
There is no drug that can cure MS, but treatments are now available which can modify the course of the disease.
Many of the symptoms of MS can be successfully managed and treated.