A Little About Multiple Sclerosis

Many horrific diseases and sicknesses strike the worlds population each year. Every day, hour, minute and second someone dies of a disease, or is diagnosed with a disease. There are many different types of diseases and sicknesses- some are treatable, some are fatal-some are minor cases and some are extremely serious cases. Multiple Sclerosis is one example of a very serious disease.

Multiple Sclerosis, also known as MS, is an autoimmune disease, which means the bodys immune system attacks destroys its own normally healthy body. Slowly over time, this disease continues to get increasingly worse. “This disorder usually begins to attack people when they are in their 20s-40’s, but can be seen at any age, and it usually attacks woman rather than men” (American Accreditation Healthcare Commission). It is a disease that causes damage to the bodys myelin sheath, which is the protective layer that covers and surrounds the bodys nerve cells. The damage of the nerves is caused by inflammation. Inflammation occurs when the bodys own immune cells attack the nervous system. Eventually after a long time of inflammation, it can affect the brain and spinal cord. Over time, the damage of MS slows down or stops messages from the brain to the body. To this day it is unknown how the inflammation starts or what triggers the inflammation. It is likely that a virus starts it, but researchers are still unsure and are still researching the disease to figure out possible ways that it starts.

MS is a degeneration disease, meaning it gets worse over time and the nerve damage gets progressively worse as time goes by. Multiple Sclerosis is a genetically inherited disease, meaning that if someone in your family has it, you are more likely to inherit it and get it yourself. Cases for MS vary- some are very fatal, fast acting and severe while others are less extreme and allow people who are diagnosed with MS to live a normal life span. Unfortunately there is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Scientists and researchers today are working hard to find a cure for it and to decline rates of MS all over the world. The fortunate news is that there are many different types of medicine to slow down MS and slow down the inflammation rate, resulting in a longer life expectancy for people diagnosed with MS.

• According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center Website, there are at least 400,000 individuals living with multiple sclerosis in our nation today. Over 10,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. One day with the strength and mental ability of our scientists and researchers our nation will find a cure for MS to stop statistics to rise higher with more and more people being diagnosed with MS. As more knowledge is gained and more facts are learned about this disease, a prevention and treatment will eventually successfully wipe out Multiple Sclerosis in the future, and individuals all over the world will be able to be free.