Multiple sclerosis, abbreviated MS, is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, the causes of which are still largely unknown. Nerve inflammation in the brain. spinal cord cause the different MS symptoms. There are several different forms of MS disease. In most cases there is a relapsing worsening of the symptoms, which do not always disappear completely with therapy. Multiple sclerosis is not curable, but its progression can be slowed by consistent therapy.
In this article we inform you about the causes and the treatment of MS. For more in-depth information on the symptoms, progression, and definition of an MS flare, please refer to additional pages in this guidebook series, linked below in the text.
MS – definition
MS is a Disease of the central nervous system. To the central nervous system the Brain and that Spinal cord counted. Inflammation occurs there in the multiple sclerosis. The technical term for MS is "Encephalomyelitis disseminata", which can be translated roughly as "scattered inflammation of the brain and spinal cord". MS is a chronic disease, which is currently not curable is.
For a long time, MS patients are often able to cope with their daily lives alone. In the later course of the MS disease, people increasingly need help from others. If you or one of your relatives have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, family physicians and neurologists are the best contacts for all questions about the disease.
Frequency of multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic neurological disease, which can occur even in young people and leads to long-term limitations. In Germany there are currently more than 120 000 sufferers. Worldwide exist over 2.5 million MS patients.
As Autoimmune disease MS is one of a large group of diseases that are nowadays increasingly frequent can be diagnosed.
Multiple Sclerosis Causes
Despite intensive research, the causes of MS are still largely associated unknown. Probably occurs due to partly genetic, partly environmental factors for the development of so-called autoreactive immune cells, which are wrongly directed against the own immune system. These cause a Inflammation in the central nervous system and destroy nerve cells that are responsible for movements, coordination, vision and sensitivity, for example.
At least partly responsible for the increasing frequency of today's lifestyle with damaging Environmental factors made responsible.
risk factors for multiple sclerosis
MS mainly affects European, light-skinned population or its descendants and therefore occurs especially in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia. Overall women significantly more often affected than men.
Involved in the development of autoimmune diseases such as MS environmental factors are Smoking, Obesity and unhealthy diet. But also certain Viral infections and Vitamin D deficiency increase the risk of MS.
Probably the MS hereditary. siblings and Children of MS patients have a higher incidence of MS than the general population twenty-fold increased risk for MS.