MS Active Source

Frequently Asked Questions

• Overview
• About MS
• Diagnosing MS
• Lifestyle options
• Finding support
• Treating MS
• Neuro-physiotherapy

Questions often asked about Multiple Sclerosis the disease

Q: What is MS?

A: MS is a disease of the CNS that causes inflammation or swelling around small blood vessels in the brain and spinal cord. This inflammation can damage the myelin sheath, the protective covering of nerve fibres. Without the protection of myelin, exposed nerve fibres can become damaged and permanently scarred.

The word sclerosis means scarring or hardening. In MS, there are multiple scarred areas in the brain and spinal cord; thus, the name Multiple Sclerosis. The inflammation and damage of myelin and nerve fibres that occur in MS weaken the transmission of nerve impulses sent between the brain, the spinal cord, and the rest of the body through cells in the CNS called neurons.

MS is not a life-threatening disease, but it is a chronic, long-term condition that can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Although there is no cure for MS, it can be managed through treatment.

Q: What causes MS?

A: Despite a great deal of research, scientists have not yet pinpointed the exact cause(s) of MS. However, scientists believe that MS is caused by a combination of hereditary and environmental factors.

Scientists consider the following to be possible environmental factors that trigger MS:

Geography

MS does not occur as frequently in every country throughout the world. MS most commonly affects Caucasians, particularly in North America, Europe, and Australia. The differences are not as great as we used to think. We do know, however, that in both the northern and southern hemisphere, MS is more frequent the further away a country is from the equator. This applies to regions within a country itself. For example, in the US, the incidence of MS is much higher in northern states with temperate climates (seasonal changes) than in warmer southern states.

Some studies suggest that there may be a connection between where a person lived for about the first 15 years of his or her life and the incidence of MS. For example, children up to age 15 years who move to another area where there is a higher or lower risk for MS become as likely to get MS as people who have always lived in that area. But, people older than 15 years who move remain as likely to get MS as if they had not moved.

Viruses

A great deal of research has investigated the links between MS and all kinds of viruses. As yet there has been no reliable proof of any specific virus being responsible for MS. A likely possibility is that MS is the result of a response to several outside factors, such as viral infections, in a person who may be susceptible to MS based on his or her genetic makeup.

Q: Is there a cure for MS?

A: There is no cure for MS, but there are drugs available which can slow the progression of the most common forms of MS it is treatable. Disease-modifying treatments, including interferon betas, nataluzimab and the synthetic compound glatiramer acetate, have been shown to reduce relapses. Corticosteroids have been used to control some of the symptoms associated with relapses. You should talk to your neurologist about your treatment options.

Q: What are the different types of MS?

A: With MS, the course of illness and range of symptoms can vary from person to person, but there are different classifications according to how patients experience symptoms:

1. Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS):

This type shows clearly defined relapses with some amount of recovery. It is the most common form of MS; around 80% of people have RRMS when they are diagnosed (Ref F1). However, on average around 75% of them will have developed secondary progressive MS  within 10 years (see below) (Ref F1). For this reason, treatment at diagnosis with MS therapies to slow the development or progression of disability may be important in combating the disease in the long term.

2. Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS):

Approximately 75% of people initially diiagnosed with RRMS will find that over time there will be a variable but continued loss of physical and cognitive functions starts to take over and relapses become less common.

3. Primary Progressive MS (PPMS):

This type shows no relapses, but over a period of years there is continual loss of physical and cognitive functoins.  This form of MS affects about 10% of all people with MS at the onset of their illness (Ref F1).

4. Benign MS:

This can affect up to 10% of people with MS, but many experts believe benign MS is a form of RRMS in which disease activity isn't obvious.

Q: What are some of the symptoms of MS?

A: Most people with MS begin with a relapsing form. This means that they initially experience episodes called exacerbations that go away, either partially or completely, but return, or relapse, later. Although the symptoms vary from person to person, common symptoms of MS include:

• Weakness or fatigue.
• Numbness or tingling.
• Blurred vision or visual loss.
• Poor coordination of muscle movements.
• Difficulty with bladder or bowel control. 
• Muscle rigidity or stiffness (spasticity).
• Speech problems.
• Challenges with memory or other thinking skills.

Q: How does MS progress?

A: Research shows that MS continues to progress even when a person is not experiencing relapses. This happens because MS has two components: the invisible disease and the visible results of it.

The invisible, or silent, aspect of MS is the ongoing CNS inflammation, scarring, and loss of brain and/or spinal cord tissue.

This invisible disease progression can lead to the visible effects of MS that may include:

• Relapses (eg temporary episodes of problems with walking, speech, or vision).
• Physical disability (eg sensory, motor, or other neurological problems that persist or continue to progress).
• Cognitive dysfunction (eg problems with memory and other thinking skills).
  

Therefore, it is very important to treat MS as early as possible, to slow the progression of disability.

Q: Will my MS progress quickly?

A: The progress the disease makes is variable, depending on the severity or location of inflammation or how quickly the myelin breaks down and axons are lost.

Dividing MS into groups according to the progress of the disease is often a question of looking back over a longer period. However, because MS is such a variable disease, it is nearly impossible to predict how MS will affect a person in the future. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with a particular form of the disease ie RRMS, there's no way to predict when, or if, you will progress to secondary progressive MS.

If there are any questions that you would like an answer to please contact the MS Active Source team by clicking here.

Supported by