Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is an auto-immune disorder where the body’s own immune system attacks itself. One of the first areas to get affected is the myelin sheath, the layer covering the nerves, which hampers the neurological signalling system from the brain to nerves around the body.

Symptoms:

• The symptoms vary from person to person and can include numbness, weakness in the limbs, sudden loss of balance, blurred vision, paralysis, and disability at the most advanced stage.

Reasons:

• The cause is not yet clear. Researchers associate it with environmental and lifestyle factors like heat and stress.

Treatment:

• No permanent cure yet, several trials under way. Patients are treated with a group of injections known as interferons, also called “disease-modifying drugs”.