Sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the myelin sheath, a protective coating around nerve fibers. This results in inflammation, which further damages the myelin sheath and the nerve cells themselves, and the cells that produce myelin. It is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance, and diminished brain function. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild. Affecting an estimated 2.3 million people worldwide, the disease affects women twice more often than men, according to the National MS Society.
Please confirm if MS stands for Musculo-Skeletal and indicate where needed.
Symptoms
The symptoms of sclerosis vary widely from person to person and can affect any part of the body.
The main symptoms include:
⦁ Fatigue
⦁ difficulty walking
⦁ vision problems, such as blurred vision
⦁ problems 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 you have, your symptoms may come and go in phases or get worsen over time (progress).
Treatments
There's currently no cure for it, but several treatments can help control the condition.
The treatment you need will depend on the specific symptoms and difficulties you have.
It may include:
⦁ treating relapses with short courses of ⦁ steroid medicine to speed up recovery
⦁ specific treatments for individual MS symptoms
⦁ treatment to reduce the number of relapses using medicines called disease-modifying therapies
Treatments
Many treatments are available for MS, with many more experimental ones being developed. Most therapies seek to suppress the immune system to reduce inflammation and help protect the myelin sheath.
