Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is caused by the removal of the outer sheath - or myelin - of nerves in the brain or spinal cord. This is called demyelination, and it is the result of attack by white blood cells, which initiate a process of inflammation. Without a myelin sheath the nerves can't work properly, and don't transmit signals.

The symptoms depend on the nerves that are affected:

If it is the nerve to the eye - the optic nerve - then the vision is blurred.

If it's a sensory nerve then there's numbness or tingling, or possibly pain.

The disease runs a variable course, with some patients suffering very few attacks with only mild disabilities which recover, while others suffer repeated episodes with severe disability.
 
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