what is multiple sclerosis?
606286
so not funny. I was going to do some research on it for you, but haider is the better expert here being a sufferer of it (good you keep your sense of humor and perspective there, haider).\n\nBest of luck to both of you. I will keep you in my prayers, if that doesn't offend you. ;-)
17305
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). \nMultiple sclerosis (MS) usually affects woman more than men. The disorder most commonly begins between ages 20 and 40, but can strike at any age.\n\nThe exact cause is not known, but MS is believed to result from damage to the myelin sheath, the protective material which surrounds nerve cells. It is a progressive disease, meaning the damage gets worse over time. Inflammation destroys the myelin, leaving multiple areas of scar tissue (sclerosis). The inflammation occurs when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system.\n\nThe inflammation causes nerve impulses to slow down or become blocked, leading to the symptoms of MS. Repeated episodes, or flare ups, of inflammation can occur along any area of the brain and spinal cord.\n\nSymptoms vary because the location and extent of each attack varies. Usually episodes that last days, weeks, or months alternate with times of reduced or no symptoms (remission).\n\nRecurrence (relapse) is common although non-stop progression without periods of remission may also occur.\n\nResearchers are not sure what triggers an attack. Patients with MS typically have a higher number of immune cells than a healthy person, which suggests that an immune response might play a role. The most common theories point to a virus or genetic defect, or a combination of both. There also appears to be a genetic link to the disease. MS is more likely to occur in northern Europe, the northern United States, southern Australia, and New Zealand than in other areas. Geographic studies indicate there may be an environmental factor involved.\n\nPeople with a family history of MS and those who live in a geographical area with a higher incidence rate for MS have a higher risk of the disease.\n\nCheck out this article with excellent illustrations:\nhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000737.htm
162028
Hi wolflover. The best place to find information on MS is here\nhttp://www.nmss.org/\n\nthere are many sites online that offer useful information and one that I pay attention to is\nhttp://mayo.mondosearch.com/cgi-bin/MsmFind.exe?QUERY_ENCODING=UTF-8&CFGNAME=MssFind.cfg&AND_ON=Y&ALLCATS=X&NO_DL=X&query=ms\n which is mayo clinic\n I hope if this is you looking for information for yourself that you find what you need. If you would like I can edit this later and add my email for a short time for you to contact me. I myself have MS so I have alot of information and other sites you could try. Good Luck and Be Well\nhttp://www.healthtalk.com/multiplesclerosis/programs/10_462/index.cfm\nThis is a site that offers a call in show approx. once a month usually dealing with some aspect of MS\nAnother good site is
215671
MS??  Multiple sclerosis??  Well, multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.  Autoimmune means that your body is basically attacking itself.  No... it's not transmitted through blood contact.
1024586
Multiple sclerosis does have a genetic component, however...my brother-in-law's mother had MS.  Before my sister and brother-in-law had kids, they asked the doctor if they needed to consider the risk of MS.  He said that the chance of getting it is so slight that it wasn't something that they needed to be worried about.  \n\nThen when I was 32, I got MS.  Now my nephews have it on both sides of their family, but the chance of them getting it is still only marginally higher than for someone who has no kin with MS.\n\nCheck with your local chapter of the National MS Society.  They can help with your questions and can also provide moral support.
393779
Generally, multiple sclerosis and neurofibromatosis. The former is a demyelinating disease of unknown origin that can strike at any age, but tends to afflict those of middle age (40s or 50s). The latter is a genetic condition where neurofibromas--benign tumors--form on the peripheral nerves.\nThese conditions may also affect the CNS, but are known most prominently for their peripheral effects.
726298
ms causes lesions on the back side of the brain. but her symptoms sound strange to me. I hope you are able to get medical help for whatever is going on, and sorry that you have to go through this with her. i know it's tough not knowing what's wrong.
609022
I think that is Multiple Sclerosis. There are many websites and associations for patients and their falimy members,just use search engine.\n\nThe other you mentioned: at http://www.transpersonal-web.com/bipolar-mental-illness.shtml
391776
Symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from person to person and from time to time in the same person. For example, one person may experience abnormal fatigue, while another might have severe vision problems. A person with MS could have loss of balance and muscle coordination making walking difficult; another person with MS could have slurred speech, tremors, stiffness, and bladder problems. While some symptoms will come and go over the course of the disease, others may be more lasting.\n\nAs a result of the inflammatory, demyelinating process in the central nervous system, people with MS can experience a wide variety of symptoms. The most common symptoms of MS include:\n\nFatigue (also called MS lassitude to differentiate it from tiredness resulting from other causes)\n\nProblems with walking\n\nBowel and or bladder disturbances\n\nVisual problems\n\nChanges in cognitive function, including problems with memory, attention, and problem-solving\n\nAbnormal sensations such as numbness or "pins and needles"\n\nChanges in sexual function\n\nPain\n\nDepression and/or mood swings\n\nLess common symptoms include:\n\nTremor\n\nIncoordination\n\nSpeech and swallowing problems\n\nImpaired hearing\n\nAll of these are considered primary symptoms of MS because they are a direct result of demyelination, the destruction of myelin—the fatty sheath that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers in the central nervous system—and of damage to the nerve fibers themselves. Demyelination and neuronal damage impair transmission of nerve impulses to muscles and other organs, resulting in impaired function. Many of these symptoms can be managed effectively with medication, rehabilitation, and other management strategies. \n\nIn addition to the primary symptoms caused by demyelination, there are other types of problems or complications that can occur as indirect results of the primary symptoms or the experience of having a chronic illness:\n\nSecondary symptoms of MS are complications that can arise as a result of the primary symptoms. For example, bladder dysfunction can cause repeated urinary tract infections. Inactivity can result in loss of muscle tone and disuse weakness (not related to demyelination), poor postural alignment and trunk control, decreased bone density (and resulting increased risk of fracture), and shallow, inefficient breathing. Immobility can lead to pressure sores. While secondary symptoms can be treated, the optimal goal is to avoid them by treating the primary symptoms.\n\n\nTertiary symptoms of MS are the social, vocational and emotional complications associated with the primary and secondary symptoms. The diagnosis of a chronic illness can be damaging to self-esteem and self-image. A person who becomes unable to walk or drive may lose his or her livelihood. The strain of dealing with a chronic neurologic illness may disrupt personal relationships. People with MS frequently experience emotional changes as well, but it is important to note that mood swings and depression can occur as primary, secondary, or tertiary symptoms of the disease. Professional assistance from psychologists, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and public health agencies is indicated for managing many of these psychosocial and vocational issues.\n\nIt is important to remember that not every person with MS experiences all of these symptoms. Some people may experience only one or two of them over the course of the disease, while others experience quite a few. Symptoms can come and go quite unpredictably, and no two people experience them in exactly the same way. Most of the symptoms of MS can be effectively managed, and complications avoided, with regular care by a neurologist and allied health professionals.\nMS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. Surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers of the CNS is a fatt
34799
Yes..The most common symptoms of MS are-Fatigue(also called MS lassitude to differentiate it from the tiredness resulting from other causes),Problems with walking,Bowel and/or bladder disturbances,Visual Problems,Changes in cognitive function,including problems with memory,attention and problem-solving,Abnormal sensations such as numbness or"pins and needles",,Changes in sexual funtion,,Pain,Depression and/or mood swings..Less common symptoms include-Tremors,Incoordination,Speech and swallowing problems & Impaired hearing
1139590
MS itself physically causes depression.  I had had MS for 14 years before anyone told me that.  I've been on Buspar and Zoloft since then and  have not had major problems with depression.  \n\nBTW, I was diagnosed with MS in 1985.  I have never needed a wheelchair, but I do sometimes have to use a walker for stability.
355046
Multiple Sclerosis\n\nMultiple sclerosis is a disease that may affect any area of the brain and spinal cord. Multiple Sclerosis does not affect nerve cells. It affects transmission of electrical signals to nerve cells. Multiple sclerosis is the most common cause of chronic neurological disability in young adults. It is not contagious.\n\nAs multiple sclerosis progresses, problems of sight become serious, such as dimness of vision, partial blindness, double vision, and the inability to control the movement of the eyeball.\n\nCauses?\n\nThe exact cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. However, researchers believe multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory process that attacks a substance in the nervous system called myelin.\n\nMyelin is an important substance. It surrounds the cells in the nervous system and facilitates rapid transmission of signals up and down neurons. When myelin is broken down, nerve impulses travel slower, causing symptoms that are characteristic of Multiple Sclerosis.\n\nSymptoms?\n\nMultiple Sclerosis causes symptoms and signs that vary unpredictably over decades, and may relapse, progress, or undergo spontaneous remission.\n\nSymptoms vary greatly depending on the site of inflammation. In general they affect sensory or motor function causing patients to experience fatigue, numbness, tremor, loss of vision, pain, paralysis, loss of balance, and bladder and bowel dysfunction, painful muscle spasms and numbness in the entire body. Men may experience erectile dysfunction. Women may have a loss of libido or difficulty reaching orgasm. Multiple sclerosis attacks can last for more than 24 hours.\n\nSymptoms may be triggered by exercise, exertion, or with increased body temperatures. When symptoms are triggered by increased body temperatures, they usually cease when the body temperature is returned to normal.\n\nMultiple Sclerosis in the News\n\nNew research finds there may be a link between a common virus (Epstein Barr) and multiple sclerosis.\n\nEpstein Barr sometimes causes mononucleosis, and researchers at Harvard report that women who show signs of having been exposed to the virus — even those likely exposed as children — appear to have a much higher chance of developing multiple sclerosis, as much as four times as great as women without the exposure.\n\nBut the researchers caution the correlation does not mean that Epstein Barr causes MS, a very serious nerve illness.\n\nStatistics?\n\n* Multiple Sclerosis affects women twice as much as it affects men\n* An Identical twin of a person who has Multiple Sclerosis have a 25-percent chance of getting the disease\n* There are approximately 350,000 people in the US with Multiple Sclerosis\n* There are about 2.5 million people worldwide with Multiple Sclerosis.\n* Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system which affects Canadians more frequently than most other countries in the world.\n* Multiple Sclerosis can cause loss of balance, impaired speech, extreme fatigue, double vision and paralysis\n* Multiple Sclerosis was first identified and described by a French neurologist, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot, in 1868.\n* Sclerosis means scars...these are the plaques or lesions in the brain and spinal cord\n* Life span is not significantly affected by Multiple Sclerosis.\n* Many of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis can be successfully managed and treated.
1118124
I was diagnosed with MS May 4, 2005.  It started in Nov. 2002 with optic neuritis (i didn't know that's what it was at the time).  Then in August 2004 I developed a headache that lasted for about 5 months, followed with dizziness/vertigo.  I had a check-up, an MRI, heart echo, 1,001 blood tests, and finally a spinal tap (LP).  It's funny, I thought by now I would have accepted it, but it is still the first thing on my mind when I wake up, and the last thing on my mind when I go to sleep.  It's a big blow to get a diagnosis like this one.  I was 30 when I was dx'd, like most people.  There's too much to type here.  My e-mail is: multiplesclerosissux@yahoo.com if you wanna talk!  My name is Brian.
48213
I don't know where the first answer is coming from.  Anyway there is alot of pain with MS not just physical, but emotional too.  My father has ms, and there are going to be good days and bad days. He is on a perscription that he takes to try to lesson the results with MS.  So far they do not have a cure for MS, and if you or a family member has it, they can check with their doctor to see what is out there for it.  The medications are very expincive so i hope you do have an insurance plan. The emotional problems, can involve family members as well as the one who has it.  I find it painful to know the troubles my dad is dealing with, and I find prayer is the best way to over come that. There are alot of MS support groups, and programs out there for familys dealing with  ms.  Good luck to you, and your family.\n\nJust thinking about it, temperature and climate can effect MS as well, too warm, or too cold climates can effect how the person is feeling.  I know when my dad went swimming, he felt alot better that day, or the rest of the day.  Hope that helps as well.
52129
Seems like they don't know much about MS.  The cause of progression in MS is unknown.  A relapse can occur if you become over-heated, overly stressed, overly fatigued...or it can just happen.  No lifestyles that I'm aware of make a difference in the progression.  No foods, either.  Supplements that boost your immune system should be avoided, because MS is a disease caused by an "over active" immune stem in the first place.  Anything that stimulates your immune system could lead to a new attack or an exacerbation.  \n\n     The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recommends that people diagnosed with MS begin treating with the "ABC" drugs (Avonex, Betaseron, or Copaxone) as soon as possible.  While they do not "cure" MS, they do slow down the progression of the disease and prolong the progression of disability.  I provided a link to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society below, as well as the makers of Copaxone's website.\n\n*Diagnosed May 2005
719552
It is thought to be caused by a virus. It causes extreme fatigue, muscle pain and general malaise. Some people recover and some don't. It is not fatal, but does cause problems for those who do not recover, for life. There are a couple rules of thought about treatment. One is vitamin B12 injections monthly and and plenty of rest with a balanced diet. IT IS NOT A FORM OF MS AND IS NOT HEREDITARY. GEESH!
645565
"Multiple Sclerosis" can be treated and cured if we pay attention to what the patient says what makes him  feel better what worse including everything Movement Food Drink Medication Season Time.\nHomeopathy treats and cures where the other medicine don't even work just because it Treats the Patient and how he or she feels and what are his eating habits plus more .\nSo anyone asking for a MS prescription for Homeopathic Treatment has to explain their own symptoms in their own words.What and how the patient feels only by paying attention to those symptoms and finding the right similar for what they feel can bring about CURE not just temporary treatment and relief .\nTake Care and God Bless you !