Basics of Multiple Sclerosis
Basics of Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis, also commonly known as MS, is a chronic, long-term, and usually progressive disease affecting the central nervous system. MS progresses by causing permanent damage to nerve cell sheaths in the spinal cord, brain, and optic nerves. In MS, immune cells attack myelin. Myelin is a fat-type substance that protects and insulates nerve fibers and nerve sheaths. Damage to myelin results in the growth of scar tissue. Scar tissue and other damage to the nerve sheath and nerve fibers disrupts and sometimes distorts the nerve impulses traveling back and forth between the brain and spinal cord. This distortion and disruption can cause many different symptoms throughout the body that include the known effects of MS. The resulting symptoms associated with MS include, but are not limited to • poor muscle coordination • blurred vision • speech difficulties • endangered basic bodily functions There are 4 known types of MS, call...