Multiple Sclerosis - MS LifeLines
Multiple Sclerosis FAQs
Q: What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain and the spinal cord. The CNS is composed of nerve cells which are linked by fibers called axons. The axons are wrapped in a protective substance called myelin, which allows messages to be sent at high speed. In MS, white blood cells attack and cause inflammation and destruction of the myelin. This damage causes a communication breakdown, which in turn may cause a wide range of symptoms including weakness, fatigue, and vision problems.
Q. What causes MS?
The exact cause of MS is unknown. Doctors believe MS is an autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease the body attacks itself, thinking it is attacking viruses or bacteria. In MS, the body attacks the central nervous system , and the disease eats away at the myelin covering on nerve fibers. Some doctors think MS may be triggered by an infection, probably a virus. But MS is not contagious.
Q: Who gets MS?
Approximately 400,000 people in the United States have MS, and every week about 200 more are diagnosed. More than twice as many women have MS as men, and it occurs in all races but it is most common in whites, particularly those of Northern European descent. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40.
Q: How is MS diagnosed?
Usually the first clues leading to a diagnosis of MS are the symptoms you describe to your doctor combined with a careful review of your medical history. Most of the time this leads to a thorough neurological examination, and will probably include MRI* scans of the central nervous system and other tests. MRI scans, or magnetic resonance imaging, are safe and painless, and can show the location and size of lesions to help doctors assess the overall damage caused by MS.
*The exact correlation between MRI findings and the current or future clinical status of patients, including disability progression, is unknown.
Q: How does MRI help diagnose and monitor the progress of MS?
MRI* scans of the brain and spinal cord show the location and size of lesions, or areas of demyelinated nerve tissue. MRI scans can be used to confirm a diagnosis of MS. They can also be used to monitor the progression of the disease by allowing your doctor to compare the results of one MRI scan with a previous one. The number and location of lesions shown in MRI scans may correlate with a person's symptoms. For example, a brainstem lesion may cause dizziness; a spinal cord lesion may cause weakness. Some lesions may be "clinically silent" and produce no symptoms. The more lesions you have, the more damage may occur. The more damage, the higher your risk of disability.
*The exact correlation between MRI findings and the current or future clinical status of patients, including disability progression, is unknown.
Q: What are the different types of MS?
There are three main types of multiple sclerosis:
- Relapsing forms of MS (a majority of people with MS start with this type).
- Relapsing-Remitting MS
- Most common form of MS
- Attacks and remissions occur over time with periods of stability in between
- Progressive-Relapsing MS
- Relapsing MS with steady progression
- No real period of remission
- Acute attacks are common
- Relapsing-Remitting MS
- Secondary-progressive MS
- Attacks are less common
- Symptoms and disability continue to worsen
- Primary-progressive MS
- Steadily worsens from the beginning of the disease without relapses
Q: What is relapsing-remitting MS?
Relapsing-remitting (or exacerbating-remitting) MS is the most frequent form of the disease, and is characterized by unpredictable relapses followed by generally complete remission (recovery). During relapses, existing symptoms become more severe and new symptoms may appear. This can last from days to weeks, followed by partial or total remission. Progression toward permanent disability is not frequent.
Q: What are the symptoms associated with MS?
The symptoms of MS vary from individual to individual, and you can get symptoms at any time. Fatigue is one of the most common complaints of people with MS. Other common symptoms include optic neuritis/other vision problems, tingling/numbness, weakness, vertigo/loss of balance, memory loss/depression, sexual dysfunction, pain, spasticity, bladder and bowel problems.
Q: How does MS progress?
The course of MS is hard to predict. Most people with MS have random patterns of attacks called "relapses" or "exacerbations." A relapse or exacerbation is any worsening of old symptoms or appearance of a new one that lasts for more than 24 hours and is separated from previous symptoms by at least one month. Attacks occur without warning, and most people recover function between attacks. But for some recovery can take longer, and as the disease progresses there may be a gradual accumulation of disability.
Q: Is there a cure for MS?
There is currently no cure for MS, but there are treatments, called disease modifying drugs (DMDs). Rebif® (interferon beta-1a) is one of these treatments. Although the precise mechanism is unknown, Rebif appears to work by moderating the body's immune response to help prevent it from attacking the central nervous system. You should talk to your doctor about your treatment options.
Q: Is MS genetic? Will my children have MS?
While MS itself is not hereditary, a person's chance of getting the disease appears to have a genetic component. Studies of identical twins show that a person has a 33% chance of developing MS if his twin already has it. This suggests that even if a person is genetically prone to MS, two thirds of one's probability of getting the disease has to do with environmental/other factors. Moreover, since each person inherits half of his or her genes from each parent, it is unlikely that both parents will have the genes for susceptibility to MS and pass them along to their children.
Q: Where can I find more information about MS?
You can find additional information about MS at MS LifeLines® (www.MSLifeLines.com), which is supported by EMD Serono and Pfizer; the National MS Society (www.nationalmssociety.org); at your local MS Society; and by visiting your local library.
