Ms

Almost Too Old

With all of the medical and technological advances in todayÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s society, one may be prompted to ask why there are so many unanswered questions about various diseases. Every year there are millions of people diagnosed with some type of life altering disease. Some of these diseases are deadly, while others are simply a known fact and at times an inconvenience in the personÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s life. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that falls in the middle of the road. MS is more than just a fact and an inconvenience in the patientÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s life, but it is usually not a deadly disease. The severity of MS is determined by who has the disease, what age the person is, what type of MS the person has, which symptoms associated with MS the person is experiencing, and what treatment the person is involved in. Like any other disease, Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that has an impact on the diagnosed individual along with the family and friends of this individual. People diagnosed with MS experience changes in their actions, emotions, and abilities. These changes, which to some may be restrictions, can be frustrating and difficult to understand. Carol Koenig is a woman who was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This paper will explain the basic facts about MS and explain CarolÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s experiences with MS.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS?

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that is often misunderstood. The two words Ð'ÐŽÐ'ҐmultipleÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ and Ð'ÐŽÐ'ҐsclerosisÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ give the basic definition of the disease, many hard areas. Multiple refers to the many areas of the central nervous system that are affected by the disease. Sclerosis is derived from the Greek word Ð'ÐŽÐ'ҐsklerosÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦, which means hard, and refers to the hard lesions around the nerves (M.S.S.). Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune neurological disease (N.M.S.S.). MS affects the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves (N.M.S.S.). The CNS is the system of the human body that controls all of the bodyÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s functions (M.S.S.). Myelin, a white, fatty substance surrounding the nerve fibers, is also included in the CNS (N.M.S.S.). Myelin plays an important part in the CNS of protecting the nerve fibers and allowing the fibers to conduct electrical impulses or messages being sent from your brain to the rest of your body (M.S.S.).

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CAUSES

Multiple Sclerosis does not have a known cause (Rose, Houtchens, and Lynch). Scientists and Doctors speculate that in MS the bodyÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s immune system mistakes myelin tissue to be a foreign invader (M.S.S.). The immune system, which normally fights harmful viruses and bacteria, starts to attack and destroy the myelin tissue; this process is called demyelination (N.M.S.S.). When the myelin becomes damaged or destroyed, the nerve fibers are no longer able to conduct the electrical impulses to and from the brain that are necessary for bodily function (N.M.S.S.). Once the body attacks the myelin tissue, the damage causes lesions. These lesions are also known as plaques or scars. The lesions are the hard areas that develop around the numerous damaged myelin tissues, hence the name Ð'ÐŽÐ'Ґmultiple sclerosisÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ (M.S.S.). Even though scientists have not found an exact cause of multiple sclerosis, most of them agree that genetics, gender, and environmental triggers play a key role in this disease. Each MS case is different. Some patients may experience similar symptoms but everyone has a characteristic that makes their case unique. These variations in the disease may be one of the main reasons that an exact cause has not yet been identified.

WHO CAN GET MS?

Multiple Sclerosis is not an inherited disease nor is it contagious. Men, women, children, adults, and people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds can get Multiple Sclerosis. Throughout the world, an estimated 2.5 million people are living with MS (N.M.S.S.). Currently in America, 400,000 people know that they have MS, and about 200 people per week are diagnosed with this disease (N.M.S.S.). Throughout the years of research, some patterns have developed in who is diagnosed with MS. The majority of MS patients are diagnosed with the disease between the ages of 20 and 50 (N.M.S.S.). Women are twice as more likely to be diagnosed with MS as men (M.S.S.). As stated earlier, Scientists believe that genetics may play a role in MS; however, there is no solid proof that the disease is directly inherited. People of northern European ancestry are more commonly diagnosed with MS as opposed to people of African, Asian, and Hispanic ancestry (N.M.S.S.). Doctors and people must keep in mind that these are simply patterns of the most commonly diagnosed; they are not strict requirements of patients with MS.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS DIAGNOSIS

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that requires various tests be conducted before diagnosis. There is no one test that will inform a doctor if a patient has or does not have MS. When a doctor speculates that a patient could have MS, the doctor will first try to acquire a full and complete medical history of the patient. This medical history should include what types of symptoms the patient has and the approximate time that the symptoms started.

A Nervous System Functioning Test is usually conducted on the patient. This test will check the reflexes of the patient, along with the patientÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s balance and coordination (N.M.S.S.). Checking for numbness throughout the body is also part of the nervous system functioning test (N.M.S.S.). Multiple Diagnostic Tests are also conducted on possible MS patients (N.M.S.S.). Diagnostic tests include MRI scans; a detailed view of the brain, Evoked Potential Tests; measures the response time of the patientÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s nervous system, and Spinal Taps; which examine the spinal fluid for traces of the disease (N.M.S.S.). Before a doctor will diagnose a patient with multiple sclerosis, the doctor must see two basic signs in the patient. The first confirmation sign is that the disease has affected different parts of the nervous system (N.M.S.S.). Secondly, the patient has experienced two separate relapses of the disease (N.M.S.S.). Once a patient has been diagnosed with this disease, he or she will have to make adjustments in life to accommodate multiple sclerosis and its various reactions.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CATEGORIES

Each multiple sclerosis case