Image via WikipediaMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system. It is an auto immune disorder, which means the immune system attacks healthy cell and tissues. In the end It disrupts communication between the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. Many investigators believe Multiple Sclerosis to be an autoimmune disease -- one in which the body, through its immune system, launches a defensive attack against its own tissues. In the case of Multiple Sclerosis, it is the nerve-insulating myelin that comes under assault. Such assaults may be linked to an unknown environmental trigger, perhaps a virus. It is twice as likely to develop in women.Early Signs and Symptoms includes dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision, numbness, tingling, slurred speech and loss of memory. They vary from person to person, and often diminish or improve a few days or weeks. Severe symptoms often lead to debilitation. Those who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis needs a support from a family member or friend tp perform simple tasks.
For proper diagnosis, the patient has to provide a detailed clinical history and go to a neurological exam. There are also additional tests, such as those that measure how fast messages passes from the brain o the nerves.
Signs of clinically definite Multiple Sclerosis : disease in the different parts of the central nervous system and two separate relapses that are at least a month apart. Once diagnosed, a patient has to deal Multiple Sclerosis for life. Though Multiple Sclerosis not an inherited condition, there is two percent chance that the disease will develop in a child of an Multiple Sclerosis parent.
Early diagnosis and long term treatment can bring long lasting benefits. Interferon beta 1-b is a diseases modifying agent that slows down the disease and lessens the gravity of attacks. It usually comes in syringe and injected under the skin.
