The Clinical Part Of Multiple Sclerosis

What is MS?

MS is a short term given to a debilitating disease called multiple sclerosis. This disease is very unpredictable and can actually range from benign to something that was highly devastating. This is so because the communication pattern that normally occurs between the brain and the rest of the body is greatly damaged.

According to scientific research, MS is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s immune system launches an attack against its very own underlying tissues and cells. In multiple sclerosis, the part that is most affected is the myelin.

The myelin

The myelin is a sheath that covers the nerve fibers in order to protect it. Aside from protection, it also acts as an insulator. It is the myelin that is directly attacked in a case of MS.

Many have released reports saying that assaults to the myelin are triggered by environmental factors like a kind of bacteria or virus.

About its onset

Most of those who complain with multiple sclerosis belong to the age group between twenty and forty years old. They initially complain of double vision, blurred vision, blindness in one eye or both, and also a color distortion between the reds and the greens. Aside from visual disturbances, there are also muscular disturbances such as muscle weakness in the person’s extremities, accompanied by difficulty in balance and coordination.

The muscular symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis may vary in severity. For instance, some cases could be severe which often render the person have a permanently impaired walking. In fact, some are even unfortunate to even have their balance by just standing impaired.

In a worst case of MS, the person is left with either partial or complete paralysis that is accompanied with paresthesia. This accompanying symptom is basically the abnormal feelings of sensation usually along the extremities. The extremities would feel numb and prickling like as if a there are a thousand pins and needles.

In other cases of multiple sclerosis, those who are with complaint experience pain. And pain is a subjective matter. Therefore, if they say it is painful, then it must be truly painful.

People with multiple sclerosis also experience speech impairments, dizziness and tremors. The recently mentioned symptoms are the ones they usually complain of. Occasionally, these symptoms are accompanied with hearing loss and impairments with the person’s cognition. With this kind of problem, the person will definitely have a hard time with concentration, memory, judgment and attention.

Treatment for MS

As of now, there still has been no discovery for an effective cure for multiple sclerosis. Research has been continuous and the findings have remained very consistent. However, no cure still has been established.

Some people actually prefer not to take any MS therapy, since several of the medications for multiple sclerosis have some serious side effects which pose high risks. An example of such medication is the Beta Interferon.

There are three famous brands of the aforementioned drug, namely, Rebif, Avonex and Betaseron. These three drugs have already been approved by the FDA or the Food and Drug Administration with regards to the use of those with the relapsing – remitting type of multiple sclerosis.