FAQ about Multiple Sclerosis

FAQS about Multiple Sclerosis

1. Who gets MS?
Anyone may develop MS. MS occurs in most ethnic groups, including African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics/Latinos, but is more common in Caucasians of northern European ancestry.

2. How many people have MS?
Approximately 400,000 Americans have MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. World-wide, MS affects about 2.5 million people. Because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not require U.S. physicians to report new cases, and because symptoms can be completely invisible, the numbers can only be estimated.

3. Is it safe to get pregnant?
Many of those diagnosed with MS are young women with plans of having children at some point in their future. The good news is that MS does not affect fertility, and pregnancies progress “normally” (that is, having the same benefits and risks as someone without MS).
For most women with MS, MS symptoms often stabilize or improve during pregnancy. Unfortunately, 20-to-40 percent of women have a relapse following delivery, so new mothers will need to plan for more rest and assistance during the first few months. Disease progression and long-term risk of additional relapses are not affected by pregnancy.
Some of the medications taken for MS can increase the risk of miscarriage and are transmitted in breast milk. Women considering pregnancy should discuss their medications with their neurologist in advance. Some medications may need to be discontinued a few months before attempting to become pregnant.
Having a child is an important decision for any person or couple. With MS, parents need to consider that fatigue and other symptoms may well affect the amount of activity the mother may be able to perform with the child or children in their younger years. Assistance from others — such as family and friends — may be needed at certain times. Before making the commitment, individuals and couples may want to discuss the different issues with their healthcare provider.

4. Is MS fatal?
In rare cases MS is so malignantly progressive it is terminal, but most people with MS have a normal or near-normal life expectancy. Severe MS can shorten life.

5. Does MS always cause paralysis?
No. Moreover, the majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled. Two-thirds of people who have MS remain able to walk, though many will need an aid, such as a cane or crutches, and some will use a scooter or wheelchair because of fatigue, weakness, balance problems, or to assist with conserving energy.

6. Is MS contagious or inherited?
No. MS is not contagious and is not directly inherited. Studies do indicate that genetic factors may make certain individuals susceptible to the disease.

7. Can MS be cured?
Not yet. There are now FDA-approved medications that have been shown to "modify" or slow down the underlying course of MS. In addition, many therapeutic and technological advances are helping people manage symptoms. Advances in treating and understanding MS are made every year, and progress in research to find a cure is very encouraging.

8. What medications and treatments are available?
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recommends that a person consider treatment with one of the FDA-approved "disease-modifying" drugs as soon as possible following a definite diagnosis of MS with active or relapsing disease. These drugs help to lessen the frequency and severity of MS attacks, reduce the accumulation of lesions (areas of damage) in the brain, and may slow the progression of disability.
Many therapies for MS symptoms such as spasticity, pain, bladder problems, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, weakness, and cognitive problems.

9. Why is MS so difficult to diagnose?
In early MS, symptoms that might indicate any number of possible disorders come and go. Some people have symptoms that are very difficult for physicians to interpret, and these people must "wait and see." While no single laboratory test is yet available to prove or rule out MS, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a great help in reaching a definitive diagnosis.

10. Where is MS?
MS is a global disease
• The pattern of geographic variation in the prevalence of MS is complex and nonrandom.
o High-risk areas (> 30/100,000) include northern and central Europe (except
northern Scandinavia), Italy, the northern United States, Canada, south eastern
Australia, parts of the former Soviet Union, and New Zealand.
o Medium-risk areas (5–29/100,000), include southern Europe (excluding Italy), the
southern United States, northern Australia, northern Scandinavia, other parts of
the former Soviet Union, South Africa (white population only), and possibly
Central America.

These FAQ's are from The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America and The National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Introduction to Multiple Sclerosis

Hey! Welcome to my blog! I hope through this blog I can inform people about Multiple Sclerosis. I have been very passionate about this topic since by brother Bobby was diagnosed almost two and half years ago. My family and I really did not know much about this disease before Bobby's diagnosis, so I am hoping that this blog will provide more information for those who do not know much about MS.

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America defines Multiple Sclerosis as a chronic, an unpredictable and often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is also considered to be an autoimmune disease. The body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The nerve fibers can also be damaged. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing the variety of symptoms that can occur. The damage appears in multiple places in the CNS.

According to National Multiple Sclerosis Society the most Common Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are fatigue, numbness in the face, body, or extremeties, walking, balance, and coordination difficulties, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, vision problems, sexual dysfunction, pain. cognitive function, depression, and spasticity. Some less common symptoms include speech disorders, swallowing problems, headache, hearing loss, seizures, tremor, respiration /breathing problems, and itching.

Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. Twice as many women as men have MS. It occurs more commonly among people with northern European ancestry, but people of African, Asian, and Hispanic backgrounds are not immune. It is believed that there are currently about 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This estimate suggests that approximately 200 new cases are diagnosed each week.