Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and one of the most common disabling ailment of the central nervous system. During multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the protective sheath of myelin that covers nerve fibers. This slow progress attack causes communication problems between your body and your brain. Till the end, the disease completely deteriorates the nerves which become permanently damaged.

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis vary widely depending on the amount of nerve damage and affected nerves. Some people with severe multiple sclerosis even lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others have shown long periods of remission without any new symptoms.

Although there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, the treatments can help in swift recovery from the attacks, even alter the progression of the disease thus helping in the management of symptoms.

Causes
The actual cause of multiple sclerosis is still unclear to researchers. Multiple sclerosis comes under autoimmune diseases where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. With multiple sclerosis, the immune system malfunctions and destroys myelin, a fatty substance responsible for protecting nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.

The function of myelin would be same as insulation coating on electrical wires. When myelin is damaged and nerve fiber is exposed, the messages can no longer travel along that nerve. There is a possibility of nerve damage itself.

Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis may differ from person to person and the course of the disease also depends upon the affected nerve fibers which might include:

• Weakness or numbness in either one or more limbs that usually happens on one side of your body at a time.
• Partial or complete loss of vision sometimes in one eye at a time. Experiencing pain during eye movement.
• Extended double vision.
• Pain or tingling sensation in various parts of your body.
• Electric-shock responses that you experience with certain neck movements, especially when bending the neck forward. It could be a Lhermitte sign.
• Lack of coordination, tremor or unsteady gait.
• Slurred speech.
• Problems with bowel and bladder function.
• Fatigue and dizziness.

The course of the disease
In many cases of multiple sclerosis, the patients have a relapsing-remitting disease course. They show periods of new symptoms or relapses which take days or weeks to develop and then improve partially or completely. These periods of relapses are followed by quiet ones of disease remission which can go on for months or even years.

Certain small increases in body temperature that cause the symptoms to temporarily worsen aren’t considered disease relapses.

About 60% to 70% of people who have relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis will eventually develop a steady progression of symptoms both with or without periods of remission. This stage is known as secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis.

The worsening symptoms include problems with mobility and gait and the rate of disease progression differs greatly in people with secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis.

Some people suffer from primary-progressive multiple sclerosis where it progresses with a gradual onset and steady signs of progression without showing any relapses.