Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that can potentially disable the patient by attacking the central nervous system—the brain and the spinal cord. MS is an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune system will attack the myelinated sheath that coats and protects the nerve fibers within the spinal cord and can restrict communication from the brain to the rest of the body. MS can also affect vision, hearing, balance, speech, and memory.
In the USA, approximately 350,000 individuals have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Although MS usually strikes teenagers and young adults between the ages 15-40, women are three times as likely to develop MS than men. Presently, there is no cure for the disease, but if it is diagnosed early on and treated correctly, further damage can be prevented.
Tap Read More for some of the common signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis:
