What is MS?

Multiple sclerosis or MS is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, resulting in loss of muscle control, vision, balance, and sensation (such as numbness). With MS, the nerves of the brain and spinal cord are damaged by one's own immune system. Thus, the condition is called an autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases are those whereby the body's immune system, which normally targets and destroys substances foreign to the body such as bacteria, mistakenly attacks normal tissues. In MS, the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, the two components of the central nervous system. Other autoimmune diseases include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

MS gets its name from the buildup of scar tissue (sclerosis) in the brain and/or spinal cord. The scar tissue or plaques form when the protective and insulating myelin covering the nerves is destroyed, a process called demyelination. Without the myelin, electrical signals transmitted throughout the brain and spinal cord are disrupted or halted. The brain then becomes unable to send and to receive messages. It is this breakdown of communication that causes the symptoms of MS.

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis vary from person to person and can change over time in the same person. The most common early symptoms include:

Muscle weakness

Decreased coordination

Blurred or hazy vision

Eye painDouble vision

As the disease progresses, symptoms may include muscle stiffness (spasticity), pain, difficulty controlling urination, or problems with cognition.

Making the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis isn't easy, because the symptoms are vague and often fleeting. Factors that a health professional considers are:

Two or more isolated episodes of symptoms that could be caused by MS. The episodes must last at least 24 hours and occur a month apart.

MRI test showing the areas of demyelination (lesions).There are other tests that a health professional may perform.

There are a variety of medications available that can reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms in some people with multiple sclerosis. Some drugs can also slow the progression of certain types of MS.There are also a variety of medications available that can:Shorten attacks of MS (acute worsening of symptoms)Relieve the symptoms of MS (such as pain, urinary problems, and muscle stiffness)