A brief explanation.
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder. It attacks the brain and spinal cord by destroying the sheaths that cover nerve fibres and damaging the nerve fibres themselves.
• The term multiple sclerosis refers to the many areas of scarring (sclerosis) that results from the loss of nerve sheaths. The scarring interferes with the smooth transmission of impulses travelling along the nerve to and from the brain.
• MS affects approximately 5,000 people in the Republic. It usually begins between the ages of 20 and 40 and is more common in women. Most people with the disease have periods of relatively good health (remissions) alternating with debilitating flare ups (relapses).
• It is not known what causes MS, but it is thought that a virus or other outside agent somehow triggers the immune system into attacking itself.
• The symptoms of MS are highly variable and individualised but include mood symptoms, tremor and difficulty maintaining balance. Double vision and numbness are also common.
• Treatment options include the short-term use of steroids and interferon injections which are used to limit progression of the disease.
Dr Muiris Houston