MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)

Hello Everyone! I hope that you all are fine. I am fine too. Today, I am writing about Multiple Sclerosis. The name might be new to you, but I will fill in all the crucial information regarding Multiple Sclerosis. Well, let's get started!!!

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Multiple Sclerosis has the initials of MS. It is a Neuro-inflammatory disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (A neuro-inflammatory disease is a study of conditions where immune responses damage components of the nervous system. It includes many neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Multiple Sclerosis). It is also associated with aging and Traumatic brain injury. It causes difficulty in controlling your body. MS is the most common cause of disability in young adults. 

TYPES OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

MS starts in one of two general ways:  with individual relapses( attacks or exacerbations),  or with gradual progression.

RELAPSING REMITTING MS 

More than 8 out of every 10 people with MS are diagnosed with relapsing-remitting type.  someone with relapsing-remitting MS will have episodes of new or worsening symptoms known as relapses. These typically worsen over a few days,  last for days to weeks to months, then slowly improve over a similar time period. Relapses often occur without a warning but are sometimes associated with the period of illness or stress. The symptoms of a relapse may disappear altogether,  with or without treatment,  although some symptoms often persist, with repeated attacks happening over several years. Periods between attacks are known as periods of remission. These can last for years at a time. After many years (usually decades),  many, but not all people with relapsing-remitting MS go on to develop secondary progressive MS. 

PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE MS

Just over 1 in 10  people with the condition start their MS with a gradual worsening of symptoms.  in primary progressive MS, symptoms gradually worsen and accumulate over several years, and there are no periods of remission, though people often have periods where their condition appears to stabilize.

SECONDARY PROGRESSIVE MS

In this type of MS, symptoms gradually worsen over time without obvious attacks. Some people continue to have infrequent relapses during this stage. Around half of the people with relapsing-remitting MS will develop secondary progressive MS within 15 to 20 years, and the risk of this happening increases the longer you have the condition.

CAUSES

MS is an autoimmune condition. This is when something goes wrong with the immune system and it mistakenly attacks a healthy part of the body--- and in this case, it attacks the brain along with the spinal cord of the nervous system. In Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system attacks the layer that surrounds and protects the nerves called the Myelin Sheath. This damages and scars the sheath, and potentially the underlying nerves, meaning that messages traveling along the nerves became slowed and disrupted. Exactly what causes the immune system to act in this way is unclear, but most experts think a combination of genetic and environmental factors is involved. 

• Sex:- Women are more likely to develop MS than men.
• Age:- People are likely to develop MS at the age of 20-30.
• Family history:- MS is unlikely to be inherited but you can have it if your siblings or someone in your family is affected by MS.
• Lack of Vitamin D.
• Smoking
• Teenage obesity
• Viral infections:- It might be possible that if a virus attacked you recently, it might have weakened your immune system, therefore exposing you to MS.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of MS vary widely from person to person and can affect any part of the body. The main symptoms of multiple sclerosis include:-

• Fatigue

• Difficulty in walking

• Vision problems, such as blurred vision

• Problem controlling the bladder

• Numbness or tingling in different parts of the body

• Muscle stiffness and spasms

• Problems with balance and co-ordination

• Problems with thinking learning and planning.

Depending on the type of MS you have, your symptoms may come and go in phases or get steadily worse over time.

DIAGNOSIS

It can be hard to tell whether your symptoms might be caused by multiple sclerosis at first,  as some of the symptoms can be quite vague or similar to other conditions.  see your doctor if you think you have symptoms of MS.  letting them know about the type and pattern of symptoms you are experiencing in the table have them determine whether you might have the condition.  if your doctor thinks she should have the MS,  you should see a Neurologist(  is a specialist in conditions of the nervous system). Following are some tests that can diagnose MS:-

1. An MRI scan

2. Evoked potential test 

3. Lumbar puncture

4. Blood tests. 

TREATMENTS

There's currently no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but it's possible to treat the symptoms with medicines and other treatments. Treatment for MS depends on the specific symptoms and difficulties the person has. It may include: treating relapses of MS symptoms (with steroid medicine). Multiple sclerosis is a chronic condition, which means it's long-lasting and there's no cure for it. That said, it's important to know that for the vast majority of people who have MS, the disease is not fatal. Most of the 2 million people worldwide with MS have a standard life expectancy. Treatment typically focuses on speeding recovery from attacks, slowing the progression of the disease, and managing MS symptoms. Some people have such mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary. MS itself is rarely fatal, but complications may arise from severe MS, such as chest or bladder infections, or swallowing difficulties. The average life expectancy for people with MS is around 5 to 10 years lower than average, and this gap appears to be getting smaller all the time. People with MS should avoid certain foods, including processed meats, refined carbs, junk foods, trans fats, and sugar-sweetened beverages.

PREVENTIONS

Although MS is a chronic condition, there are some ways to manage it with drugs and lifestyle changes. There is no complete cure or prevention method, but diet, exercise, medications, and early detection can go a long way in slowing its progression.

PREVALENCE

In the UK, the prevalence is about 120 per 100,000. The annual incidence is around 7 per 100,000, while the lifetime risk of developing MS is about 1 in 400. The incidence of MS is higher in Northern Europeans, and the diseases about as twice as common in females. In 2016, there were 2 221 188 prevalent cases of multiple sclerosis (95% uncertainty interval) globally, which corresponded to a 10·4% (9·1 to 11·8) increase in the age-standardized prevalence since 1990. Worldwide, more than 2.3 million people have a diagnosis of MS. In the United States a recently completed prevalence study, funded by the National MS Society, has estimated that nearly 1 million people over the age of 18 live with a diagnosis of MS.

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