| Using medical terms we can say that multiple sclerosis | | | | Because of this symptoms specific to multiple sclerosis |
| is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central | | | | may appear. Flare ups or repeated inflammations can |
| nervous system, meaning the brain and the spinal cord. | | | | occur in different areas of the brain or the spinal |
| Studies done on groups of individuals with the disorder | | | | column. |
| has come up with the conclusion that women are | | | | Attack intensities may vary a lot over time, the bad |
| much more affected than man. Still, in both cases the | | | | thing being that they vary for the worse. At the |
| disease begins between the ages of 20 to 40. | | | | beginnings episodes may last a couple of days, but as |
| Scientists and doctor have yet to give a conclusive | | | | time goes by and the disease worsens, they tend to |
| answer to the question: what causes multiple | | | | last longer and longer sometimes reaching the order of |
| sclerosis? Still some breakthroughs have been made | | | | month. The time between episodes may also tend to |
| and with the help of modern medicine they have | | | | get smaller and smaller with the passing of time and |
| discovered that the factor that determines the onset | | | | the agravation of the disorder. |
| of the disease may be the damage done to the myelin | | | | Scientist have also come up with what is believed to |
| sheath, the myelin being the material that surrounds the | | | | be a second trigger in the disease. Studies made on |
| nerve cells protecting them. Being a progressive | | | | patients with multiple sclerosis have revealed that |
| disease, the symptoms of the patients present are | | | | these people have a larger number of immune cells |
| only going to get worse over time. As said before, | | | | than normal healthy people do. Genetic defects or the |
| because the layer of myelin is destroyed, the body | | | | actions of viruses are thought to cause symptoms to |
| ends up damaging its own nerve cells, thus leading the | | | | appear. The genetic factor has revealed that the most |
| nerves system to a total and fatal collapse. | | | | likely to develop this disorder are the Caucasians. Also |
| Another fact that results from the destruction of | | | | geographical studies made on different populations of |
| myelin is inflammation. To even worsen things | | | | people around the globe have determined that an |
| inflammation may to often slow or block the nervous | | | | environmental factor may also be involved in triggering |
| impulses from reaching their designated target. | | | | the disease. |