Multiple+Sclerosis

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Overview
website: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-is-ms/index.aspx Multiple Sclerosis, also refered to as MS is a chronic and disabiling disease where the central nervous system is attacked. The central nervous system is made up the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, thus this disease can be life altering. Though much research is being put into MS, much is unknown about the disease. The specific symptoms are unknown and the disease varies in many ways.

MS is thought by many people to be an autoimmune disease. When a person obtains MS, their bodies own defense system attacks its myelin. Myelin is a fatty substance that protects the nervous system and nerve fibers. When any of the nerve fibers are damaged or destroyed, the nerve impulses that travel from the brain and spinal cord are broken up, which cause many of the symptoms to occur. MS have four known disease courses, each of which can be mild, restrained, or extreme.  1. Relapsing-Remitting MS- Patients of this type endure clearly defined attacks of which their neurological function increasingly worsens. Theseattacks are often refered to as flare ups or relapses. After these attacks a period of recovery is experienced. 85% of MS patients are diagnosed with this type of MS  2. Primary Progressive MS-Patients undergo slowly worsening neurological functions from the star, with no distinct relapses or flare ups. 10% of MS patients have this type  3. Secondary Progressive MS- At first patients of this type will start out with an initial period of relapsing-remitting MS. After, many people develop secondary progressive where the disease steadily worsens, some with and some without flare ups, remissions, or plateus of the disease. About half of the people with relapsing remitting MS will develop secondary MS withing 10 years.  4.  Progressive Relapsing MS- about 5% of people experience steadily worsening disease from the start, and with clear attacks of decline in neurological functions along the way. Patients with this will not always endure the recovery process following the flare ups.

No two MS patients have the exact same experience with MS, although some may seem very similar. At times it is even difficult for doctors to know which stage they are undergoing.

Pictures
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Symptoms
<span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">The onset of MS symptoms usually occurs during early adult hood. Some symptoms are chronic while others are erratic. The myelin sheath in the central nervous system is damaged. Nerve signals cannot travel from the brain and spinal cord accurately. This error in the nervous system results in symptoms of MS. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Various symptoms will occur corresponding to the affected part of the brain and the severity of the destruction of the nerve fibers. Sclerosis means scarring because MS results in plagues in the white matter of the brain. The most common symptoms include: Fatigue Numbness (pins and needles sensation or tingling) Walking, balance, and coordination problems Vision Problems (i.e. double vision, eye pain, and blurring, weak contrast between colors/brightness) Bladder and bowel problems (i.e. Constipation or diarrhea; many urinary tract infections) Pain (chronic pain that can lead to disability) Dizziness Depression Mood Changes Sexual dysfunctions Spasticity: stiffness and involuntary muscle spasms. Spasticity primarily affects the legs and the severity of the symptoms range from slight tightness to crippling pain. Cognitive Changes (the ability to think)

Less Common Symptoms: Speech problems (slurring, inability to control loudness, alteration in voice quality) Swallowing Problems (aka dysphagia; liquids and food can obstruct the lungs and airways) Headaches Seizures (electrical disorder in the brain which results in the loss of consciousness and uncontrollable jerking movements) Tremors (uncontrollable shaking) Breathing problems Hearing Loss Itching

Causes
<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">While the cause (etiology) of MS is still not known, scientists believe that a combination of several factors may be involved. Studies are ongoing in the areas of immunology (the science of the body’s immune system), <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">epidemiology <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> (that looks at patterns of disease in the population), and <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">genetics <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> in an effort to answer this important question. Understanding what causes MS will be an important step toward finding more effective ways to treat it and—ultimately—cure it, or even prevent it from occurring in the first place. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The major scientific theories about the causes of MS include the following: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> It is now generally accepted that MS involves an <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">autoimmune process <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">—an abnormal response of the body’s immune system that is directed against the <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">myelin <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> (the fatty sheath that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers) in the central nervous system (CNS—the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves). The exact //antigen//, or target that the immune cells are sensitized to attack, remains unknown. In recent years, however, researchers have been able to identify which immune cells are mounting the attack, some of the factors that cause them to attack, and some of the sites, or receptors, on the attacking cells that appear to be attracted to the myelin to begin the destructive process. Ongoing efforts to learn more about the autoimmune process in MS—what sets it in motion, how it works, and how to slow or stop it—are bringing us closer to understanding the cause of MS.
 * Immunologic **

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">MS is known to occur more frequently in areas that are farther from the equator. Epidemiologists—scientists who study disease patterns—are looking at many factors, including variations in geography, demographics (age, gender, and ethnic background), genetics, infectious causes, and migration patterns, in an effort to understand why. Studies of migration patterns have shown that people born in an area of the world with a high risk of MS who then move to an area with a lower risk before the age of 15, acquire the risk of their new area. Such data suggest that exposure to some environmental agent that occurs before puberty may predispose a person to develop MS later on. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Some scientists think the reason may have something to do with <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">vitamin D, <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">which the human body produces naturally when the skin is exposed to sunlight. People who live closer to the equator are exposed to greater amounts of sunlight year-round. As a result, they tend to have higher levels of naturally-produced vitamin D, which is thought to have a beneficial impact on immune function and may help protect against autoimmune diseases like MS. The possible relationship between MS and sunlight exposure is currently being looked at in a Society-funded epidemiological study in Australia. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> Since initial exposure to numerous viruses, bacteria and other microbes occurs during childhood, and since viruses are well recognized as causes of demyelination and inflammation, it is possible that a virus or other infectious agent is the triggering factor in MS. More than a dozen viruses and bacteria, including measles, canine distemper, human herpes virus-6, Epstein-Barr, and Chlamydia pneumonia have been or are being investigated to determine if they are involved in the development of MS, but none have been definitively proven to trigger MS. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
 * Enviornmental **
 * Infectious**

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; msoFareastFontFamily: 'Times New Roman'">**<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; msoFareastFontFamily: 'Times New Roman'">Genetic ** While MS is not hereditary in a strict sense, having a first-degree relative such as a parent or sibling with MS increases an individual's risk of developing the disease several-fold above the risk for the general population. Studies have shown that there is a higher prevalence of certain genes in populations with higher rates of MS. Common genetic factors have also been found in some families where there is more than one person with MS. Some researchers theorize that MS develops because a person is born with a genetic predisposition to react to some environmental agent that, upon exposure, triggers an autoimmune response. Sophisticated new techniques for identifying genes may help answer questions about the role of genes in the development of MS.

** Evidence Pointing to a Viral Cause for MS ** <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">It is tempting to speculate on a viral cause for MS for several reasons: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> Viruses are known to cause demyelinating disease in animals and humans. Demyelination (destruction of myelin, the fatty sheath the surrounds and insulates nerve fibers in the central nervous system) causes nerve impulses to be slowed or halted and produces the symptoms of MS. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> Data from epidemiological studies—those that analyze variations in geographical, socioeconomic, genetic, and other factors—suggest that exposure to an infectious agent may be involved in causing MS. Some viruses are known to have a long latency period between time of infection and appearance of clinical symptoms, as is thought to be the case in MS. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Increased antibodies to many different viruses have been found in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of people with MS. However, this does not necessarily represent disease-causing infection by these viruses. It is more likely to be the result of non-specific immune activation.