Multiple sclerosis is caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking the brain and nerves. It's not clear why this happens but it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
There's currently no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but medicines and other treatments can help control the condition and ease some of the symptoms. Treatment for MS depends on the stage of the disease and the specific symptoms the person has. It may include: treating relapses of MS symptoms (with steroids)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild.
"Because MS can develop anywhere within the central nervous system and encompasses the optic nerves, the brain and the spine, a lot of different types of critical attacks can occur, so that leads to diagnostic complexity," says Thomas Shoemaker, MD, a neurologist and MS expert at the RUSH Multiple Sclerosis Center.
We do not know for certain what causes multiple sclerosis. Scientists believe that a combination of factors trigger the disease. Studies support the opinion that MS is caused when people with the right combination of genes are exposed to some trigger in the environment.
Some people with MS may have only mild symptoms. Others may lose their ability to see clearly, write, speak, or walk when communication between the brain and other parts of the body becomes disrupted. Myelin is the fatty tissue that surrounds and protects nerve fibers. In MS, the myelin is destroyed in many areas.
Women are more than 2 to 3 times as likely as men are to have relapsing-remitting MS . Family history. If one of your parents or siblings has had MS , you are at higher risk of developing the disease. Certain infections.
Now, a study led by Stanford Medicine researchers has proved that the Epstein-Barr virus, a common type of herpes virus, triggers multiple sclerosis by priming the immune system to attack the body's own nervous system.
Summary. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that can affect the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Common symptoms include fatigue, bladder and bowel problems, sexual problems, pain, cognitive and mood changes such as depression, muscular changes and visual changes.
Healthy adults have a small amount of brain atrophy due to natural ageing, but in many people with untreated MS, brain atrophy occurs at a much faster rate. Current MS treatments aim to prevent new central nervous system lesions forming that lead to irreversible damage and brain atrophy.
Multiple sclerosis usually affects people between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and the average age of onset is approximately 34 years. Multiple sclerosis can affect children and teens (pediatric MS). It has been estimated that 2%-5% of people with MS develop symptoms prior to age 18.
Summary of the key differences
Although both MS and SS are autoimmune disorders, they are distinct conditions. Multiple sclerosis impacts only the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. In contrast, SS is a multisystem disease, meaning it can impact multiple areas of the body.
You may have to adapt your daily life if you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but with the right care and support many people can lead long, active and healthy lives.
FAQs about MS prognosis and life expectancy
Multiple sclerosis itself is not usually lethal, but it can increase the risk of long-term complications, such as infections or trouble swallowing, that can potentially shorten survival. On average, longevity is about five to 10 years shorter in people with MS.
While there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, they can rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Can I have multiple sclerosis for years and not know it? Yes. MS can go undetected for years. Research has suggested that many patients experience MS-related symptoms and signs several years before receiving a definite diagnosis of the disease.
The hot feet sensation can vary from person to person. 2 You may experience: An itching, burning sensation that can feel like crawling under or on the skin. "Pins and needles"
Scleroderma is believed to be an autoimmune disease. This means that it occurs in part because the body's immune system begins to attack the connective tissues. People who have scleroderma may also have symptoms of another autoimmune disease — such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or Sjogren's syndrome.
MS is not contagious or directly inherited. Studies do indicate that a combination of genetic factors and certain environmental factors may make certain individuals more likely to develop the disease.
Clostridium perfringens and epsilon toxin may explain many of these mysteries.” An environmental trigger is required for MS to occur in a genetically susceptible individual, and the abundance of epsilon toxin-producing Clostridium perfringens in people with MS suggests it could be the culprit.
But studies which have investigated whether stress causes MS have been mixed. Although the person with MS knows from their experience that their MS symptoms started after or alongside a stressful period of time, there is no direct evidence that stress causes MS — although it might trigger it.
The study found that people with MS lived to be 75.9 years old, on average, compared to 83.4 years old for those without.
Disease Course of MS Is Unpredictable
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.