What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease (which means that the
immune system is attacking parts of its own host body) and it
causes the coating of the nerves (myelin sheath) to break down.
This has the effect of distorting or even blocking some of the
messages from the brain to the rest of the body.
The cause is unknown, it affects twice as many women as men
and diagnosis is commonly in the late 20's and 30's although
there are cases detected earlier or later. It is a condition
of the temperate zones (MS does not occur in people born and
living in the tropics although if they move to more northerly
(or southerly) climes their children have the same statistical
risk as the rest of the population.
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