Wellness Tips… MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
An unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, MS can range from relatively benign, to somewhat disabling, to
devastating as communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted.
The vast majority of patients are mildly affected, but in the worst cases, MS can render a person unable to write, speak, or
walk. A physician can diagnose MS in some patients soon after the onset of the illness. In others, however, physicians may not
be able to readily identify the cause of the symptoms.
During an MS attack, MS lesions or plaques, which are patches of inflammation, cause the symptoms of MS. This process is
followed by destruction of the fatty covering that insulates nerve cell fibers in the brain and spinal cord. This covering is called
“myelin” and it allows messages to move quickly and smoothly between the brain, the spinal cord and the rest of the body.
When the myelin is damaged, communication between the brain and the rest of the body may be slowed or blocked
completely, leading to diminished or lost function. The name "multiple sclerosis" refers to both the number (multiple) and
condition (sclerosis- scarring or hardening) of the myelin in the central nervous system.
It is believed that there are approximately 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States with MS with approximately 200 new
cases diagnosed each week.
Who Gets MS?
Most people experience their first symptoms of MS between the ages of 20 and 40. Specific symptoms and changes in the
brain must develop before the diagnosis is confirmed.
Although scientists have documented cases of MS in young children and elderly adults, symptoms rarely begin before age 15
or after 60. Whites are more than twice as likely as other races to develop MS and in general, women are affected at almost
twice the rate of men. Among patients who develop the symptoms of MS at a later age, however, the gender ratio is more
balanced.
Additional Information
National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multiple_sclerosis/
multiple_sclerosis.htm
(800) 352-9424
Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
support@msfocus.org
www.msfocus.org
Phone: 954-776-6805; 888-MSFOCUS (673-6287)
Adapted from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NINDS,
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multiple_sclerosis/detail_multiple_sclerosis.htm
Doc#2440-011207