Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week is March 14-20

By MC Kelby HERWriter

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Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week is March 14-20, 2011. With this in mind, let's look at some of the facts and statistics involving the health condition:

According to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and over 2 million worldwide suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with MS. Also, most patients are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 50. African Americans with MS are more prone to severe and disabling MS symptoms.

MS is not contagious. Also, there is no cure for MS. Medical experts are baffled about the exact cause of this chronic disease which affects the central nervous system. MS can be difficult to diagnose since there is no one test to diagnose MS. The diagnosis is usually made by a neurologist.

MS interrupts the flow of information between the brain and body. Symptoms result when the immune system attack affects myelin. Myelin is the insulation protecting nerve fibers of the central nervous system. When the myelin is destroyed, it is replaced by scar tissue of hardened sclerotic tissue.

Unfortunately, the symptoms, progress and severity of MS cannot be predicted in any one person.

MS affects each person differently. MS symptoms include reduced or lost mobility to numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. More than half of people with the disease have cognition issues. These issues include slowed thinking, decreased concentration or memory. Also, 10 percent of people with MS have severe impairment which impairs their ability to carry out daily tasks.

The majority of MS patients do not become severely disabled. Two-thirds of people who have MS remain able to walk. However, many may need a cane or crutches. Because of fatigue, weakness, poor balance or to conserving energy, some may choose to use a wheelchair or scooter.

MS is categorized into four different stage types:

• Relapsing-Remitting
• Primary-Progressive
• Secondary-Progressive
• Progressive-Relapsing

Recent statistics revealed more than 15 percent of people who are diagnosed with MS will have progressive forms of the disease. Also, the other 85 percent will have the relapsing-remitting type. The relapsing-remitting symptoms can disappear partially or completely in between attacks. Also, recent research stated that African Americans with MS progress from the relapsing-remitting stage of MS to secondary-progressive MS three years sooner than Caucasians with MS.

Medical experts have developed a system of managing MS that involves treating relapses, improving symptoms, and altering the long-term course of the disease.

Exercise helps ease the symptoms of MS and builds stamina. Also, exercise can help retain balance and flexibility.

In 1993, MS was an untreatable disease. Today, MS symptoms are treatable with medications and holistic practice.

If you are interested in creating a world free of MS or learning more about MS and the daily challenges of the disease visit www.nationalMSsociety.org.

Sources:
www.nationalMSsociety.org
http://www.clintonnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110310/LIFE/103100318/Multiple+Sclerosis+Awareness+Week+is+March+14-20
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/04brod.html?_r=1

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.