Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling neurologic disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. It can affect anyone, regardless of their age.

In MS patients, damage to the myelin in the central nervous system - and to the nerve fibers themselves - interferes with the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord and other parts of the body.While MS is not contagious or directly inherited, epidemiologists have identified factors in the distribution of MS around the world that may eventually help determine what causes the disease.Through various studies, four disease courses have been identified in multiple sclerosis: clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, primary progressive MS and secondary progressive MS.SymptomsMS symptoms are variable and unpredictable. No two people have exactly the same symptoms, and each person's symptoms can change or fluctuate over time.MS manifests itself in many different ways but there are some common symptoms found in people who have been diagnosed. They include:• Fatigue• Numbness or tingling• Weakness• Dizziness or vertigo• Sexual problems• Pain• Emotional changes• Walking difficulties• Stiffness or involuntary muscle spasms• Vision problems• Bladder and bowel problems• Cognitive changes• DepressionLess common symptoms that many may not think are associated with this condition, may also be noticed. They include:• Speech problems• Tremors• Breathing problems• Headaches• Swallowing problems• Seizures• Itching• Hearing lossTreatmentOnce a person is diagnosed, there is no cure, but there are ways to manage the disease.Doctors will try disease-modifying medications that reduce the frequency and severity of relapses, reduce the accumulation of lesions in the brain and spinal cord as seen on magnetic resonance imaging and may slow the accumulation of disability for many people with MS.No medications have yet been approved to treat primary-progressive MS.Rehabilitation programs also can be used to maintain a person's ability to function.It is important to find a health care professional to help create a comprehensive MS care plan to manage your disease.Source: National Multiple Sclerosis Society