Today is World Multiple Sclerosis Day

Today is World MS Day
May 27, 2015

In honor of World Multiple Sclerosis Day,  I would like to share some facts with you to help educate and bring awareness about MS.

MS affects more than 2.3 million people around the world.  Experts recognize 4 courses of MS: progressive-relapsing, secondary-progressive, primary-progressive, and relapsing-remitting. I have had relapsing and remitting for 11 years.  The level of external and internal disability increases as people move from relapsing-remitting to progressive-relapsing.
Definitions:
Relapsing-remitting = Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is characterized by clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function. These attacks — often called relapses, flare-ups or exacerbations — are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions), during which symptoms improve partially or completely, and there is no apparent progression of disease. RRMS is the most common disease course at the time of diagnosis. Approximately 85 percent of people are initially diagnosed with RRMS, compared to 10-15 percent with progressive forms of the disease.                                    Symptoms of Relapsing-Remitting MS -  One of the hallmarks of MS is the variability of its symptoms. No two people are likely to experience the same set of symptoms in the same way. Some symptoms may come and go or appear once and not again. Which symptoms you have depends on the area of the brain or spinal cord that has been damaged. The symptoms of relapsing-remitting MS may include:

• Eye pain and vision problems such as double vision or jumpyvision (vision problems may be the first sign of RRMS)
• Numbness and tingling
• Sensitivity to heat
• Radiating pain, like a mild electrical shock, when bending the neck
• Dizziness
• Bowel or bladder problems
• Problems with sexual function
• Trouble moving, muscle stiffness
• Weakness and fatigue
• Problems with balance and coordination
• Difficulty thinking clearly 
• Depression                                                                                                                                      

Primary-progressive = Primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) is characterized by steady worsening of neurologic functioning, without any distinct relapses (also called attacks or exacerbations) or periods of remission. A person’s rate of progression may vary over time — with occasional plateaus or temporary improvement — but the progression is continuous.  Most people with MS have relapsing symptoms and experience episodes lasting days or weeks of symptoms, such as:

• numbness or tingling
• weakness of a leg or arm
• unsteadiness
• bladder difficulty
• visual symptoms

About one in ten people with MS do not have a relapsing course of the disease. These patients tend to have symptoms that gradually progress without typical relapses. Patients with the gradually worsening disease are considered to have primary progressive multiple sclerosis or PPMS.

Secondary-progressive = The name for secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) comes from the fact that it follows after the relapsing-remitting disease course (RRMS). Of the 85 percent of people who are initially diagnosed with RRMS, most will eventually transition to SPMS, which means that after a period of time in which they experience relapses and remissions, the disease will begin to progress more steadily (although not necessarily more quickly), with or without any relapses (also called attacks or exacerbations)

Progressive-relapsing = There is more than one type of MS. Johns Hopkins Medicine estimates that up to 15 percent of patients will develop primary-progressive forms. With PPMS, patients immediately experience symptoms that worsen over time. Changes in mobility are the most common symptoms. This can include:
                                                                                                                                                             

•   changes in gait
•   stiff arms and legs
•   heavy legs
•  inability to walk for long distances

Other important facts:

1. Of those diagnosed with MS, progressive-relapsing affects about 5% of people, about 10% are diagnosed with primary-progressive, about 85% are diagnosed with relapsing-remitting initially, and about 50% of people with relapsing-remitting develop secondary-progressive within 10 years of diagnosis.
2. There is greater prevalence of MS in higher northern and southern latitudes.
3. MS is much more common in females than males.
4. MS is most commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50 years.
5. The lifespan of a person with MS is just about as long as the lifespan of a person without the condition.
6. While much effort and research has gone into finding out what causes MS, there are still no clear answers.
7. In MS, a person’s immune system attacks the central nervous system, causing inflammation that damages myelin, the fatty coating that insulates and protects nerve fibers.
8. To understand the central nervous system, it’s easiest to picture the nervous system as a tree. The CNS is the tree’s roots and truck.
9. Out of the approximately 400,000 people who live with MS in the US, about 8,000 to 10,000 are children or adolescents.
10. Fatigue is the most common and potentially most disabling symptom, affecting between 75% and 90% of people who have MS.
11. Numbness or tingling are common symptoms and the result of damage to nerves that transmit sensations from body surfaces to the brain.
12. A relapse is when new symptoms or worsening of symptoms that persist for at least 24 hours and occur at least 30 days since a previous relapse.
13. During a relapse, immune cells that normally circulate harmlessly in your blood stream attack and breakdown the blood-brain barrier.
14. While there is no cure for relapses, treatment may help in speeding up recovery time.
15. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important tool used for diagnosing MS and monitoring disease progression.
16. MRI scans reveal abnormalities in the majority (90% to 95%) of people with MS.
17. Radiologists and neurologists will use MRIs to look for evidence of new damage, primarily lesions, and evidence of chronic damage to the CNS.
18. Disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) have been shown to be effective in decreasing the frequency of relapses or exacerbations.
19. DMTs are given either orally or by injection or IV.
20. While DMTs are effective in the majority of cases of MS, they have not proven to be effective in cases of primary-progressive MS.
21. People with MS may experience emotional problems, such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, pseudobulbar affect (PBA), and stress.
22. Clinically significant depression affects up to 50% of people with multiple sclerosis over the course of their lifetime.
23. No specific diet has been scientifically proven to slow progression. Specialists promote the same low fat, high fiber diet recommended for all adults. I DISAGREE with this fact because I have found that following a vegetarian/vegan diet helps me tremendously.

        24. Stress is a trigger for MS. It comes in many shapes and sizes from emotional and physical, to    
        the stress on the body by extremes in temperature.
        25. Regular exercise, including exercises for strengthening, stretching, and coordination and    
        balance, can be useful in managing many common MS symptoms. I have found this tool to help 
        me trendously.
        26. Scientists still have a lot to learn about the immune system and autoimmune diseases, but 
         they do know it plays a role in the development of MS.

Called to be real !!
Love,
Lisa