Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, especially afflicts white Caucasians and the Nordic countries are an area of particularly high incidence. The first signs of MS appear at the age of 20-40, and women are affected twice as often as men. What causes MS is still a mystery, but neither heredity nor environmental factors have been ruled out. It is possible that disruptions in the immune system could be the cause.
1. Nerve 2. Myelin
3. Spinal cord 4. Brain
MS is an inflammatory disease that afflicts the central nervous system, the brain and the spinal cord.
The neural paths in the central nervous system are similar to electrical wiring. MS afflicts multiple areas of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and optical nerve). The isolating layer surrounding the nerves (myelin) is lost, leaving scars tissues called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. This slows down the nerve impulses.
The symptoms are quite varied, depending on where in the central nervous system these plaques or lesions form.
This disease often comes in waves, known as attacks, in which the symptoms become worse or new symptoms appear. Between attacks, the symptoms can improve or remain constant. A first sign is often an inflammation of the eye nerve.
One in four people with MS suffer no or only mild permanent disability.