Causes
The cause of the autoimmune response that leads to MS is not known. Researchers suspect that a person's genetic makeup combined with environmental factors may cause MS.
One theory is that MS and other autoimmune diseases are the result of a cleaner environment and fewer childhood infections. The theory proposes that infections in early childhood affect the immune system in a way that later protects adults against autoimmune diseases. With a cleaner environment and a widespread use of antibiotics, people don't get as many childhood infections and thus their immune systems don't develop protective factors.
Symptoms
A perplexing feature of MS is that it commonly begins with symptoms which appear over a period of several days, last for days or weeks and then go away; including:
- Blurred or double vision
- Eye pain, involuntary eye jerking or eye movement; usually in just one eye
- Distortion of colors, especially reds and greens
- Blindness in one eye
- Fatigue, usually worse in the afternoon
- Changes in how arms and legs feel; common sensations include heaviness, weakness, clumsiness, numbness and tingling
- Muscle weakness, spasms, loss of dexterity and inability to control specific movements
- Problems with bladder and bowel control and sexual dysfunction
- Speech difficulties
- Tremors
- Dizziness
- Hearing loss
- Difficulty with concentration, attention and memory; usually after many years
- Depression and mood swings, usually after many years
While recovery may be complete or nearly complete after such an attack, further attacks, also called exacerbations, may occur after a few months or even years. This pattern of recurring attacks is known as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Over the course of the disease, some symptoms will come and go, while others may be more lasting. Early diagnosis and treatment can help manage the disease's progression and symptoms.
Unfortunately, recovery from subsequent attacks may be less complete, and some people with MS go on to develop secondary progressive MS (SPMS), which is a slowly progressive loss of coordination and ability to walk. In a less common pattern called primary progressive MS (PPMS); the symptoms, usually difficulty walking, begin very gradually and slowly progress, in the absence of any exacerbations or remissions. Unlike RRMS, which is more common in women than men and tends to begin in the late 20s and 30s, PPMS more commonly affects men and often in middle age.
All three of these patterns of MS may lead to eventual impairment serious enough to prevent working and to interfere, sometimes severely, with ordinary daily activities. While very few people die from MS, many become unable to function normally and independently. |
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