Multiple Sclerosis is a type of disease which results from the degeneration of the nerves in the central nervous system. The disease is caused by the results of the inflammation of myelin and its disappearance. Myelin is the covering of the nerves which protect the nerves and helps to improve the conduction of impulses of the nerves. When the myelin disappears as a result of inflammation, the impulses of the nerve decelerate and they get slowly damaged.
As more and more nerves get affected, various actions like vision, speech, walking, writing and memory gets affected badly. The disease can affect any person between the age group 20 yrs to 50 yrs. Women are more prone to the disease.
Medical practioners have been doing research on the causes of the disease. they have come to an explanation that the defensive action of the immune system towards a foreign particle which invades in the body. The process of defend and attack the invaders is the result of the rapid communication among the immune cells and the production of the cells that can destroy the intruder. The disease extends due to the attack of a virus which alters the working of the immune system and makes the immune system perceive the myelin to be an intruder and attacks it. The attack by the immune systems on its own tissues instead of protective them is called autoimmunity. Multiple Sclerosis is believed to be a disease of autoimmunity.
The types of Multiple Sclerosis are as follows:
1. Exacerbation of multiple sclerosis – It last for more than 24 hours and during the attack the affected person experiences a sudden deterioration in normal physical activities.
2. Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis – It is the most common type. The patient experience a series of attacks followed by complete or partial disappearance of the symptoms and the reappearance of the disease again.
3. Primary- progressive multiple sclerosis – it is a continuous, gradual decline of the patients’ physical abilities.
4. Secondary-progressive multiple scleroses – After the stage of PP MS, this stage occurs where relapses are rare but more disability occurs.
The attack of the disease may be accompanied with the following symptoms:
- Visual disturbances like blurred vision and color distortions
- Limb weakness with problems in body balance
- Muscle spasm and unknown fatigue
- Loss of sensation and speech problems
- Memory loss, loss of concentration, inability to perform sequential tasks
Possible Medication:
There are medications available for the treatment for the disease. Complete history of the patient is taken and various tests are being done on the affected person. Tests like MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), electro-physiological test and test for examining cerebro-spinal fluid are conducted for diagnosis. The treatments include targets of improving the speed of recovery from attacks, reducing the number of attacks and an attempt to slow progression of the disease. Chemicals like corticosteroids such as prednisone which are present in the medicines like Deltasone, Orasone and Prednicen-M or methylprednisolone (Medrol, Depo-Medrol) are widely used.