What is multiple sclerosis?

About MS

What is MS, and how does it affect the body?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that damages the myelin sheath, or insulating material, that surrounds the nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.

The myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving plaques or scars called scleroses (which is where the name 鈥淢ultiple Sclerosis鈥?comes from). This damage or loss of myelin can prevent nerve signals from being conducted, or can cause those signals to be conducted too slowly.

Multiple sclerosis is characterized by attacks 鈥?鈥渇lare-ups鈥?or exacerbations 鈥?which may be associated with plaques that prevent conduction of nerve impulses in the CNS. A period of exacerbation is also known as a relapse.

By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), your neurologist can track the effect drug therapy has on the development, or lack of, new lesions.

Hope this site is helpful:-) Source(s): http://www.mswatch.com/community/section...

A neuro muscular disorder.
MS is a chronic, unpredictable neurological disease that affects the central nervous system.
MS is NOT contagious and is not directly inherited.
Most people with MS have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.
The majority of people with MS do NOT become severely disabled.
There are now FDA-approved medications that have been shown to "modify" or slow down the underlying course of MS.
The above is from the brochure
Just the Facts.
It is a neurological disease and there is no cure. It destroys the myelin sheath, a protective membrane that covers the spinal cord. There may also be lesions on the brain and nerve pathways. When this happens the neurological system has no protection. Therefore the symptoms are dropping things, falling for no reason, headaches (migraine level) , alteration in brain function, emotional malfunctions and more. No one is sure what causes MS. There are several speculations, such as genetics, injuries in youth, but no one knows for sure. We just have to treat the symptoms and can slow down the progression of the disease with medications. Not everyone who has MS has the same patterns of symptoms, nor the same severity. It can progress rapidly, slowly and go into remission. It can also return at any time. But, there are new drugs coming on the market all the time, so hopefully soon there will be a cure.
RN