What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the body in different ways. It attacks myelin, or rather the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers that relays information between your brain and the rest of your body. Over time, MS can cause permanent damage or deterioration of these nerves.

Causes-

The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. Some scientists believe it’s an autoimmune disorder, in which the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers. The problem starts when the certain brain and spinal cord cells send out electrical signals to move muscles, but these commands get intercepted by faulty, or miswired, proteins that transmit wrongly or not at all. Instead of moving muscles, the muscles stop functioning altogether, thereby involving functions like vision, balance, and coordination — until there is paralysis in some cases.

Although some factors might be the cause of MS:

• Age.
• Sex.
• Family history.
• Certain infections.
• Climate.
• Vitamin D.
• Certain autoimmune diseases.
• Smoking.

Signs and Symptoms-

The symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis vary from person to person and depend on the extent of the person’s nerve damage. There are some cases when a patient is completely unable to walk independently, even in a wheelchair, while there have been many recorded instances where a patient was admitted to a hospital due to an attack of MS but later discharged after a period of remission. A patient with MS may sometimes feel it difficult to speak clearly or make sudden body movements.

Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis might affect movements such as –

• • Weakness or numbness that affects one side of the body at first, but may affect other parts later.
  • Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign)
  • Tremor, lack of coordination, or unsteady gait

Vision problems are also common, including:

• • Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement
  • Prolonged double vision
  • Blurry vision

Multiple sclerosis symptoms may also include:

• • Slurred speech
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Tingling or pain in parts of your body
  • Problems with sexual, bowel, and bladder function