MS Awareness Week 2023
About MS Awareness week
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that impacts the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, which make up the central nervous system and controls everything we do. The exact cause of MS is unknown, The resulting damage to myelin, the protective layer insulating wire-like nerve fibers, disrupts signals to and from the brain. This interruption of communication signals causes unpredictable symptoms such as numbness, tingling, mood changes, memory problems, pain, fatigue, blindness and/or paralysis. Everyone’s experience with MS is different and these losses may be temporary or long lasting.
The symptoms of MS vary widely from person to person and can affect any part of the body.
The main symptoms include:
- fatigue
- difficulty walking
- vision problems, such as blurred vision
- problems controlling the bladder
- numbness or tingling in different parts of the body
- muscle stiffness and spasms
- problems with balance and co-ordination
- problems with thinking, learning and planning
Unfortunately, there’s currently no cure or treatment that can slow the progress of a type of MS called primary progressive MS, or secondary progressive MS in the absence of relapses.
Medicines and other treatments can help control the condition and ease some of the symptoms, many therapies aiming to treat progressive MS are currently being researched.