Notes for people who have been diagnosed for some time
You may have been told by your consultant that MS is a condition in which the immune system turns against the body (referred to as an autoimmune condition) and starts to attack myelin, the fatty sheath that surrounds nerve axons in the central nervous system (CNS, i.e. the brain and spinal cord). Axons are the extension of nerve cells that communicate with other nerve cells in the CNS using tiny electrical impulses to code information about is coming in (vision, hearing, skin sensation etc.) and to direct functions such as movement, balance, continence etc. These signals are the “language” of the nervous system enabling information to be transmitted to other CNS centres, informing them and allowing them to respond in an organised and co-ordinated way. If these complex pathways are damaged this fine co-ordination of information throughout the CNS is disrupted causing the symptoms of MS.
Myelin is essential to allow all nerve impulses to be transmitted faithfully from one brain area to another. Since this damage tends to occur in patches known as plaques, and plaques can occur in any part of the nervous system the range and severity of symptoms that any individual experiences will vary. (diagram) (brain/spine MRI scan)
Understanding treatment
As MS is thought to be an autoimmune condition most treatments are aimed at modifying the actions of the immune system. We now have a whole range of drugs that can do this in early MS (see Treatment Options for more information). Your MS team should discuss with you what drugs are suitable for your MS depending on what type of MS you have and how long it is since you were diagnosed.
Treatment for symptoms varies according to the type of symptoms you have. See Symptoms for more details.
Dr Rosie Jones.