Guest Author - Jessica Steinmetz

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. It primarily hurts the nerves that have the job of communicating in the central nervous system and the nerves throughout the body.

Plaques or lesions show up on the nerves of the central nervous system. Wherever these lesions are, an insulating material on the nerve is destroyed. The insulating material is called myelin. MS is very hard to figure out because it varies tremendously. The severity of MS is dependent upon the affected areas of the central nervous system.

Even though there aren't two people who get MS the same, the disease process and loss of myelin is the same. People with MS can lose a little function, some function or total function depending on where the damage is located.

MS is a very slow progressing illness. It's extremely rare for anyone to experience all the symptoms. Many people with MS do not require a wheelchair. After years of having MS, they need a cane to walk. Only a few people with MS die because of the disease. Some people have MS, but they never know it.

If someone does have MS, they likely will need to change their lives, but can continue to live a fulfilling life.

Symptoms of MS
- numbness, tingling, pins and needles, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, spasticity, cramps, pain, blindness, blurred or double vision, incontinence, urinary urgency or hesitancy, constipation, slurred speech, loss of sexual function, loss of balance, nausea, disabling fatigue, depression, short term memory problems, other forms of cognitive dysfunction, inability to swallow, inability to control breathing