MS is a serious disease that can range along a continuum from mild to severe.

Some people are able to live with MS for decades with only minimal symptoms, while others experience a sudden onset and are quickly thrown into a cycle of depression, worry, and medical struggles. Every case and every patient is different. My story is my experience.

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. Many of the most common medical conditions these days are autoimmune, including Crohn’s disease, colitis, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. In these diseases, the body’s immune cells attack healthy, normal tissue as though it were a foreign invader. With MS, the immune cells attack the central nervous system along the brain and spinal cord.

As the immune system attacks the nervous system, inflammation develops. This damages the myelin sheath that protects the nerve cells. As this protective covering is damaged or destroyed, the nerve impulses slow greatly or even stop altogether.

The Progression of MS

MS is a progressive disease, which means that it will get worse over time. The rate at which the disease will progress is different from one person to the next and can be very slow or quite rapid. MS can develop and be diagnosed at any age, although it is most common for people to be diagnosed between the ages of twenty and forty. Studies show that women are more likely to be affected than men, and diagnostic rates are higher in the northern United States, southern Australia, and New Zealand.

The exact cause of Multiple Sclerosis is unknown. Scientists believe that the most likely causes are a genetic defect or perhaps a virus. Many believe that it is a combination of these two factors that results in the development and diagnosis of MS.