Books On Multiple Sclerosis Diseases

Multiple Sclerosis is described in the health books as autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders are diseases in which the body's immune system misinterprets a normal structure or function of a person's body as a foreign object and begins to attack it, causing the disease. Other autoimmune disorders include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

The health books on multiple sclerosis states in multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the fatty tissue that surrounds the neurons in the spinal cord and brain. This tissue, called myelin, protects each neuron and allows each neuron to conduct its signals correctly through the spinal cord or brain. When the myelin is damaged, scar tissue, called scleroses, lesions or plaques, are formed. The lesions interfere with the neuron's ability to conduct signals, impairing the brain's ability to send signals to the body and impairing the body's ability to function accordingly.

What initially triggers this autoimmune reaction that leads to multiple sclerosis remains unknown. Research has focused on the relationship of the immune system to the disease and the fact that it is more prevalent in countries further from the equator where lesser amount of sunlight is available. This fact points to vitamin D deficiency as a possible factor in the development of multiple sclerosis, as vitamin D is an important regulator of the immune system. Viral and genetic factors are also current areas of research as possible causes of this disease.

According to the health books multiple sclerosis occurs more often in people who are Caucasian and live in countries further from the equator or usually in young adulthood and is more common in women. The primary symptoms of multiple sclerosis include nerve pain and impaired sensation in the extremities. People may feel a pins and needles sensation in the affected extremity. Muscle strength and coordination may also be affected, resulting in impairments in people's ability to move. The drunk walk may be an early symptom of muscular impairment in the people's legs. Visual impairments, cognitive changes, sleep disorders, emotional disability or mood swings, and fatigue are also common symptoms. A person with multiple sclerosis may have difficulty regulating his or her body temperature and may be especially sensitive to heat, making the warm summer months difficult to tolerate.

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis is usually done through MRI of the brain to check for the lesions that indicate de-mylinated areas. These may not always show up in the early stages of the disease, and a person with multiple sclerosis may not always receive this diagnosis right away. Multiple sclerosis symptoms are also similar to some other chronic diseases and a physician may choose to rule out other diagnoses first before pursuing an MS course of treatment.

A health book says there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, but several medications are known to slow the course of the disease and allow a person to maintain a functional life for years. All of these medications are must be administered by intravenously by health professionals. Some may have flu like side effects. Research is currently working on more effective oral medication, but this is not yet approved for general use.

• John Palsson
• 17/11/2008, 10:15 AM
• 0 Comments