ABOUT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of
information from the brain to the body
and stops people from moving. Every
hour in the United States, someone is
newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the
central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to
blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of
MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research
and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people
with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than
twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS
affects more than 18,000 people in Michigan, 400,000 in the US, and 2.5
million worldwide.
MS FACTS
Click on NATIONAL MS SOCIETY for more information.
Return to Main Page
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of
information from the brain to the body
and stops people from moving. Every
hour in the United States, someone is
newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the
central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to
blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of
MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research
and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people
with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than
twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS
affects more than 18,000 people in Michigan, 400,000 in the US, and 2.5
million worldwide.
MS FACTS
- Multiple sclerosis causes unpredictable symptoms ranging from
weakness and fatigue to total paralysis, which can wax and wane in a
variety of patterns - Every hour in the US another person is diagnosed with MS
- MS is not contagious
- MS is a disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the
myelin coating of nerve fibers in the central nervous system, as well
as the nerve fibers themselves, interfering with the brain's ability to
send and receive messages - Although MS is considered an "adult disease" there are approximately
8,000 - 10,000 children who have MS, and another 10,000 - 15,000
who have experienced what may be symptoms of MS. - Most people with MS do not use a wheelchair
- Most people with MS have a normal life expectancy
- There are now disease-modifying drugs to help slow the course of the
disease in most individuals - Three-quarters of the people with MS are women
Click on NATIONAL MS SOCIETY for more information.
Return to Main Page
