MS Active Source - positive living with MS

Facts about MS

• In MS, the immune system, which usually helps fight disease, attacks and damages nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on where the damage occurs (ref nd1).
• About one in 1,000 people in Western countries (Europe, US and Australia) get MS (ref nd2).
• MS affects about twice as many women as men (ref nd3).
• It is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 (ref nd4).
• MS affects everyone differently. But common symptoms include weakness, tiredness, loss of balance, muscle stiffness, sexual problems, bladder and bowel problems. MS can also affect memory, sight and the ability to concentrate (ref nd1).
• MS is very unpredictable. In some people symptoms can come and go, so that there are times when you don’t have any symptoms and other times when symptoms flare up. In other people symptoms are constant and gradually get worse.
• There is no cure for MS. But there are treatments that can slow down the progression of MS, and other treatments which can help relieve symptoms.