
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis can be a particularly debilitating disorder because your body essentially attacks itself. But you can learn to cope during attacks. So, what causes multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease in which your body's immune system eats away at the protective sheath that covers your nerves. The disorder disrupts communication between your brain and the rest of your body, meaning your nerve signals slow down or stop. We don't know exactly why this happens. The most common thought is that a virus or gene defect, or both, are to blame. Environmental factors may even play a role. We do know that the disorder affects more women than men, that you may get the disorder if you have a family history of MS, and that you are at higher risk if you live in a part of the world where MS is more common. It's typically diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, but we see the disorder at any age. Now you may ask, how do you know you have multiple sclerosis? Symptoms of MS can vary widely from person to person because the location and severity of each attack can be different. Episodes may last for days, weeks, or months. You may even have long periods where you have no symptoms. We call this remission. Because MS may damage nerves in any part of the brain or spinal cord, you may have symptoms in many parts of the body. You may have muscle problems, including loss of balance, muscle spasms, numbness, trouble moving your arms or legs, even trouble walking. You may have bowel and bladder problems, such as constipation, trouble urinating, or a frequent urge to urinate. You may have double vision, eye pain, or uncontrolled eye movements. You will probably be tired a lot, and it's often worse in the late afternoon. And those are just a few of the many possible symptoms of MS. Since symptoms of MS may mimic those of other nervous system disorders, your doctor will want to rule those out. Your doctor may suspect MS if you have trouble with two different parts of your central nervous system (such as abnormal reflexes) at two different times. A neurological exam may show you have reduced function in one area of your body, or it may be spread over many parts of your body. You may have abnormal reflexes, decreased ability to move a part of your body, a loss of sensation. An eye exam might show abnormal pupil responses, changes in your visual field, or trouble seeing. There is no known cure for MS, so your doctor will focus on therapies to slow down the disorder, to control your symptoms and help you maintain a normal quality of life. Your doctor can prescribe different medicines to help with this. You may have to take several medications. Life expectancy with MS can be normal, or almost normal. Most people with MS continue to walk and function at work with minimal disability for 20 or more years. The amount of disability and discomfort can depend on how often you have attacks, on how bad they are, and what part of the central nervous system is affected by each attack. Most people return to normal or near-normal function between attacks. But, over time, many people with MS will need a wheelchair. To help you maintain a normal quality of life, your doctor may suggest physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and support groups, depending on your needs. Starting an exercising program early in the course of your disorder, eating right, and getting enough rest can also help.
Multiple sclerosis
Review Date: 5/20/2019
Reviewed By: Laura J. Martin, MD, MPH, ABIM Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Atlanta, GA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Animations
Browse All
- Allergies
- Alzheimer disease
- Ankle ligament injury
- Arrhythmias
- Atherosclerosis
- Athetosis resulting from basal...
- Balloon angioplasty - short se...
- Bladder function - neurologica...
- Blinking
- Blood clotting
- Blood flow
- Blood pressure
- Bone fracture repair
- Brain components
- Breast lift
- Breathing
- Bunion
- Cancer of the throat or larynx...
- Cardiac conduction system
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiovascular system
- Cataract
- Cell division
- Cerebral aneurysm
- Cesarean section
- Components of skin
- Conception - general
- Conception - pregnancy
- Conception of identical twins...
- Concussion
- Corneal injury
- Coronary artery bypass graft (...
- Coronary artery disease
- Cosmetic surgery of the face
- Coughing
- Diabetes - retinal conditions...
- Digestion
- Directional coronary atherecto...
- Early labor
- Egg cell production
- Egg production
- Endocrine glands
- Enlarged prostate gland
- Epinephrine and exercise
- Exercise
- Feeling pain
- Fetal ear development
- Formation of twins
- Gas exchange
- Glaucoma
- Gout
- Hearing
- Hearing and the cochlea
- Heart bypass surgery
- Heart formation
- Heartbeat
- Heartburn
- Herniated nucleus pulposus (sl...
- Homeostasis
- Human face formation
- Hypertension - overview
- Immune response
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injecti...
- Kidney stones
- Kids - How big is the baby?
- Kids - How does the baby come ...
- Kids - Is it a girl or boy?
- Kids - Umbilical cord
- Kids - Where do babies come fr...
- Liposuction
- Lymph nodes
- Lymphatics and the breast
- Macular degeneration
- Muscle types
- Nerve conduction
- Nervous system formation
- Nutrient exchange
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Ovulation
- Parkinson disease
- Percutaneous transluminal coro...
- Peristalsis
- Phagocytosis
- Pituitary gland
- Placenta delivery
- Placenta formation
- Preeclampsia
- Pregnancy
- Red blood cell production
- Reflex response
- Retina
- Retinal detachment
- Rupturing membranes
- Seeing
- Sexual differentiation
- Shoulder joint dislocation
- Skeletal formation
- Skeletal muscle
- Skeletal system components
- Skin conditions
- Smelling
- Smoking
- Snoring
- Sperm production
- Sperm release pathway
- Stomach ulcer
- Stomach ulcer
- Stroke
- Stroke - secondary to cardioge...
- Sun's effect on skin
- Swallowing
- Sweating
- Tachycardia
- Tasting
- The role of amniotic fluid
- Tobacco use - effects on arter...
- Twin-to-twin transfusion syndr...
- Ultrasound
- Urination
- Vaccines
- Vaginal delivery
- Vasectomy
Videos
Browse All
- Diabetes
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Abdominal pain
- ACL injury
- Acne
- Adenoid removal
- Adolescent depression
- After your child's ear tube su...
- After your child's inguinal he...
- After your child's tonsil or a...
- After your child's umbilical h...
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Allergic rhinitis
- Allergies
- Allergy testing
- Allergy to mold - animal dande...
- Alzheimer disease
- Anemia
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anterior shoulder stretch
- Anti-reflux surgery
- Appendectomy
- Appendicitis
- Arm reach
- Arthritis
- Asperger syndrome
- Asthma
- Asthma - children
- Atopic dermatitis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Attention deficit hyperactivit...
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Before a child's tonsil or ade...
- Bipolar disorder
- Breast cancer
- Breast engorgement
- Breast self-exam
- Breastfeeding
- Bronchitis
- Bronchoscopy
- Cardiac catheterization
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cataracts
- Cerebral palsy
- Cervical cancer
- Chest pain
- Childhood obesity
- Cholesterol and triglyceride t...
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary ...
- Cluster headache
- Cold treatments for kids
- Colon cancer
- Colon cancer screening
- Colorectal polyps
- Common cold
- Concussion
- Crohn disease
- C-section
- Cystic fibrosis
- Cystic fibrosis - nutritional ...
- Depression
- Dialysis
- Diarrhea
- Ear infection - acute
- Ear infection - chronic
- Ear tube insertion
- Earache
- Electrocardiogram
- Endometriosis
- Enlarged adenoids
- Enlarged prostate
- Epilepsy
- Erection problems
- Essential hypertension
- External rotation with band
- Fibromyalgia
- Flu
- Food poisoning
- Foot pain
- Gallstones
- Gastroesophageal reflux diseas...
- Gastroesophageal reflux diseas...
- Gastroesophageal reflux in inf...
- Getting rid of lice in the hom...
- Glaucoma
- Hardening of arteries
- HbA1c
- Head injury
- Head lice
- Healthy Guide to Fast Food
- Hearing loss
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Heel pain
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hernia
- Herniated disk
- Hip joint replacement
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- How do ear tubes come out?
- How to remove a splinter
- How to stop bedwetting
- How to treat a nosebleed
- How to treat a sunburn
- How to use a peak flow meter
- How to use a pill cutter
- How to use eye drops
- How to use nasal sprays
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Hysterectomy
- Infant formulas
- Inguinal hernia repair
- Inhaler with no spacer - adult...
- Inhaler with no spacer - child...
- Inhaler with spacer - adults
- Inhaler with spacer - child
- Insomnia
- Internal rotation with band
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Isometric
- Kidney stones
- Knee joint replacement
- Let's talk about pink eye
- Lung cancer
- Lyme disease
- Melanoma
- Menopause
- Migraine
- Multiple sclerosis
- Nasal congestion
- Neck pain
- Newborn jaundice
- NICU consultants and support s...
- Nuclear stress test
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Pap smear
- Pendulum exercise
- Peptic ulcer
- Pharyngitis
- Physical exam frequency
- Plantar fasciitis
- Pneumonia
- Pregnancy care
- Prepare for your child's ear t...
- Prepare for your child's herni...
- Prostate cancer
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rotator cuff problems
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Seizures
- Shingles
- Shoulder blade retraction
- Shoulder blade retraction with...
- Shoulder pain
- Sinusitis
- Sleep disorders
- Smoking tips to quit
- Spinal stenosis
- Stent
- Storing breast milk
- Strep throat
- Stretching back of your should...
- Stroke
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Tension headache
- The difference between a cold ...
- Tips on buying cold and flu me...
- Tips on removing ear wax
- Tonsillectomy
- Tonsillitis
- Tracking your blood pressure a...
- Treating congestion in babies...
- Treating eyelid bumps
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type II diabetes
- Ulcerative colitis
- Understanding cholesterol resu...
- Up the back stretch
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary tract infection - adul...
- Uterine fibroids
- Vacation health care
- Varicose veins
- Venous insufficiency
- Wall push-up
- Wall stretch
- Warts
- What are hives?
- What are night terrors?
- What causes wheezing?
- What in the world is a neti po...
- What is tennis elbow?
- What makes your heart beat?
- What to do when kids put thing...
- What to do when kids put thing...
- What to do when something gets...
In-Depth Animations
Browse All
- Aneurysm description
- Angina causes and symptoms
- Angina pectoris treatment
- Asthma - description
- Asthma symptoms, triggers, and...
- Atherosclerosis causes
- Atrial fibrillation overview
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (...
- Cardiac and vascular disorders...
- Cardiac arrhythmia - conductio...
- Cardiac arrhythmia symptoms
- Cardiac arrhythmia tests: ECG ...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Additional...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Heart palp...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Physical e...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Taking a m...
- Cardiac catheterization - angi...
- Cardiac catheterization - indi...
- Cardiac catheterization - uses...
- Cardiac conduction system diso...
- Cardiac conduction system diso...
- Cardiac CT scan overview
- Cardiac hypertension hypertrop...
- Cardiomyopathy overview
- Cardiovascular disease - desc...
- Causes and side effects of acu...
- Central sleep apnea
- Common causes of low back pain...
- Congenital heart defects (CHD)...
- Congenital heart defects (CHD)...
- Congestive heart failure (CHF)...
- Contraception statistics
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) ...
- Diabetes and risk of serious f...
- Echocardiography (ECG) - exerc...
- Echocardiography overview
- Effects of thyroid disease
- Electrocardiogram - ECG - reco...
- Electrocardiogram - ECG - what...
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) test o...
- Factors that can cause and wor...
- Health risks of hyperlipidemia...
- Heart attack (myocardial infar...
- Heart disease - modifiable ri...
- Heart disease modifiable risk ...
- Heart disease modifiable risk ...
- Heart disease modifiable risk ...
- Heart disease modifiable risk ...
- Heart disease modifiable risk ...
- Heart transplant - overview
- Heart valve replacement - over...
- How cancer spreads through the...
- Hypertension overview
- Hypertension treatments
- Nociceptive pain
- Nuclear heart scan overview
- Overview of asthma
- Overview of chronic obstructiv...
- Overview of chronic obstructiv...
- Peripheral artery disease (PA...
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD...
- Stroke - Description, causes, ...
- Taking the first steps to mana...
- The differences between acute ...
- The effects of thyroid disease...
- The goals of proper type 2 dia...
- The inflammatory response: Sym...
- Types of echocardiography
- Types of hyperlipidemia
- Using a multi-dimensional appr...
- Valvular heart disease (VHD) ...
- Valvular heart disease (VHD) ...
- Valvular heart disease (VHD) ...
- Valvular heart disease (VHD) -...
- Varicose veins overview
- Ventricular fibrillation and t...
- What happens when a person has...
- What is neuropathic pain?
- What is neuropathic pain?
- Your lungs: The inflammatory r...