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DO YOU KNOW MULTIPLE SCHELORIS IS MORE COMMON IN WOMEN BETWEEN AGE 20 AND 40

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Zara
Gretti, she died battling with multiple sclerosis for years. May her soul
continue to rest in perfect peace

Multiple sclerosis
(MS), also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata, is
an inflammatory disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the
brain and spinal cord are damaged. This damage disrupts the ability of parts of
the nervous system to communicate, resulting in a wide range of signs and
symptoms, including physical, mental, and sometimes psychiatric problems.
Symptoms vary
widely, depending on the amount of damage and the nerves that are affected.
People with severe cases of multiple sclerosis may lose the ability to walk or
speak clearly. Multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose early in the
course of the disease because symptoms often come and go- sometimes
disappearing for months.
SYMPTOMS
A person with MS
can have almost any neurological symptom or sign; with autonomic, visual,
motor, and sensory problems being the most common. The specific symptoms are
determined by the locations of the lesions within the nervous system, and may
include loss of sensitivity or changes in sensation such as tingling, pins and
needles or numbness, muscle weakness, very pronounced reflexes, muscle spasms,
or difficulty in moving; difficulties with coordination and balance (ataxia);
problems with speech or swallowing, visual problems (nystagmus, optic neuritis
or double vision), feeling tired, acute or chronic pain, and bladder and bowel
difficulties, among others. Difficulties thinking and emotional problems such
as depression or unstable mood are also common.
Most people with multiple
sclerosis, particularly in the beginning stages of the disease, experience
relapses of symptoms, which are followed by periods of complete or partial
remission of symptoms.
Some people have a
benign form of multiple sclerosis. In this form of the disease, the condition
remains stable and often doesn’t progress to serious forms of MS after the
initial attack.
CAUSES
The cause of
multiple sclerosis is unknown. It’s believed to be an autoimmune disease, in
which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. In multiple sclerosis,
this process destroys myelin — the fatty substance that coats and protects
nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.
Myelin can be
compared to the insulation on electrical wires. When myelin is damaged, the
messages that travel along that nerve may be slowed or blocked.
Doctors and
researchers don’t understand why multiple sclerosis develops in some people and
not others. A combination of factors, ranging from genetics to childhood
infections, may play a role.
More common in
women, MS is usually diagnosed between age 20 and 40, and symptoms may start
out mild, come and go or become so severe that a person becomes unable to speak
or walk.
RISK FACTORS
Several factors may
increase your risk of developing multiple sclerosis, including:
AGE: Multiple
sclerosis can occur at any age, but most commonly affects people who are ages
20 to 40.
GENDER: Women are
about twice as likely as men to develop multiple sclerosis.
FAMILY HISTORY: If
one of your parents or siblings has multiple sclerosis, you have a 1 to 3
percent chance of developing the disease — as compared with the risk in the
general population, which is just a tenth of 1 percent.
CERTAIN INFECTIONS:
A variety of viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus and others, appear to be associated
with multiple sclerosis. Researchers study how some infections may be linked to
the development of multiple sclerosis.
ETHNICITY:White
people, particularly those whose families originated in northern Europe, are at
highest risk of developing multiple sclerosis. People of Asian, African or
Native American descent have the lowest risk.
GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS:
Multiple sclerosis is far more common in areas such as Europe, southern Canada,
northern United States, New Zealand and southeastern Australia. Researchers
study why multiple sclerosis appears to more common in certain geographic
regions. If a child moves from a high-risk area to a low-risk area, or vice
versa, he or she tends to acquire the risk level associated with his or her new
home area. But if the move occurs after puberty, the young adult usually
retains the risk level associated with his or her first home.
OTHER AUTOIMMUNE
DISEASES: You may be slightly more likely to develop multiple sclerosis if you
have thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

TESTS AND DIAGNOSIS
To diagnose
multiple sclerosis, doctors will evaluate you, review your medical history and
review your symptoms. Doctors will also conduct a physical examination. Doctors
may order several tests to diagnose multiple sclerosis and rule out other
conditions that may have similar signs and symptoms.
(A)BLOOD TESTS:
Analysis of your blood can help rule out some infectious or inflammatory
diseases that have symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis.
(B)SPINAL
TAP(LUMBAR PUNCTURE):In this procedure, a doctor or nurse inserts a needle into
your lower back to remove a small amount of spinal fluid for laboratory
analysis. Doctors test the fluid for abnormalities associated with multiple
sclerosis, such as abnormal levels of white blood cells or proteins. This
procedure also can help rule out viral infections and other conditions that can
cause neurological symptoms similar to those of multiple sclerosis.
(C)MAGNETIC
RESONANCE IMAGING(MRI):An MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to produce
detailed images of your brain, spinal cord and other areas of your body. An MRI
can reveal lesions, which may appear due to myelin loss in your brain and
spinal cord. However, these types of lesions also can be caused by rare
conditions, such as lupus, or even common conditions such as migraine and
diabetes. The presence of these lesions isn’t definitive proof that you have
multiple sclerosis. Doctors may inject a dye into a blood vessel that may help
highlight “active” lesions. This helps doctors know whether your
disease is in an active phase, even if no symptoms are present.
(D)EVOKED POTENTIAL
TEST: This test measures electrical signals sent by your brain in response to
stimuli. An evoked potential test may use visual stimuli or electrical stimuli
in which short electrical impulses are applied to your legs or arms. This test
can help detect lesions or nerve damage in your optic nerves, brainstem or
spinal cord even when you don’t have any symptoms of nerve damage.
TREATMENTS AND
DRUGS
Multiple sclerosis
(MS) has no cure. Treatment usually focuses on strategies to treat MS attacks,
manage symptoms and reduce the progress of the disease. Some people have such
mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary.
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