Guidelines To Multiple Sclerosis Diseases

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

In multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the fatty membrane that surrounds the neurons in the brain and spinal cord. This tissue, called myelin, protects each neuron and allows each neuron to conduct its signals properly through the brain or spinal cord.

When the myelin is damaged, scar tissue, called scleroses, lesions or plaques, are formed. The lesions interfere with the neurons ability to conduct signals, impairing the ability of the brain to send signals to the body and impairing the body's ability to function. 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 less sunlight is obtainable. This fact points to vitamin D deficiency as a probable factor in the development of multiple sclerosis, as vitamin D is an important regulator of the immune system. Genetic and viral factors are also current areas of research as possible causes of this neural disease.

Multiple Sclerosis usually occurs in young adulthood and is more common in women. It also occurs more often in people who are Caucasian and live in countries further from the equator. The primary symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis include nerve pain and impaired sensation in the body extremities. A person may feel a needles and pins sensation in the affected extremity. Muscle strength and coordination may also be affected, resulting in impairments in an individual's ability to move. The drunk walk may be an early symptom of muscular impairment in an individual's legs. Visual impairments, cognitive changes, sleep disorders, emotional liability 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 demylinated 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 Multiple Sclerosis course of treatment.

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 inject-able and a couple must be administered by intravenously by medical professionals. Some people have flu like side effects. Research is currently working on an effective oral medication, but this is not yet approved for normal use.

• John Palsson
• 29/11/2008, 6:59 PM
• 0 Comments