What is Multiple Sclerosis?
What is Multiple Sclerosis?
- Multiple Sclerosis: Autoimmune attack on spinal nerves causing diverse and varying neural problems.
- Multiple Sclerosis: chronic disease characterized by presence of numerous areas of demyelination in the central nervous system with symptoms such as weakness, incoordination, paresthesis, and speech disturbances; the etiology is unknown.
Source - Diseases Database
- Multiple Sclerosis: a chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers.
Source - WordNet 2.1
Ophanet, a consortium of European partners,
currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000.
They list Multiple Sclerosis as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet
Multiple Sclerosis: Introduction
Types of Multiple Sclerosis:
Types of Multiple Sclerosis:
Broader types of Multiple Sclerosis:
How many people get Multiple Sclerosis?
Prevalance of Multiple Sclerosis: 1-in-700 (NIAID)
Prevalance Rate of Multiple Sclerosis: approx 1 in 700 or 0.14% or 388,571 people in USA [about data]
Prevalance of Multiple Sclerosis:
Multiple
sclerosis afflicts 1 in 700 people in this country. (Source: excerpt from Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID)
Who gets Multiple Sclerosis?
Patient Profile for Multiple Sclerosis: Young adults, usually age 20-40.
Gender Profile for Multiple Sclerosis: Women 2:1 (NWHIC)
How serious is Multiple Sclerosis?
Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis: Variable.
Ranging from mild to very serious, depending on exactly which nerves are attacked.
Average survival is 35 years after diagnosis.
A rare form of acute MS can be fatal quickly.
Complications of Multiple Sclerosis:
see complications of Multiple Sclerosis
Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis:
The
cause of MS remains elusive, but most people with MS have a normal life
expectancy. The vast majority of MS patients are mildly affected, but in
the worst cases, MS can render a person unable to write, speak, or walk.
(Source: excerpt from NINDS Multiple Sclerosis Information Page: NINDS)
...
Most commonly, damage to the central
nervous system occurs intermittently, allowing a person to lead a fairly normal
life. At the other extreme, the symptoms may become constant, resulting in a
progressive disease with possible blindness, paralysis, and premature death. (Source: excerpt from Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID)
What causes Multiple Sclerosis?
Causes of Multiple Sclerosis: see causes of Multiple Sclerosis
Cause of Multiple Sclerosis: Autoimmune destruction of myelin that surrounds spinal cord nerves.
Risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis:
see
risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis
What are the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?
Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis:
see symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
Complications of Multiple Sclerosis:
see complications of Multiple Sclerosis
Can anyone else get Multiple Sclerosis?
Contagion of autoimmunity:
generally not; see details in contagion of autoimmune diseases.
Multiple Sclerosis: Testing
Diagnostic testing: see tests for Multiple Sclerosis.
Misdiagnosis: see misdiagnosis and Multiple Sclerosis.
How is it treated?
Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis:
see treatments for Multiple Sclerosis
Research for Multiple Sclerosis:
see research for Multiple Sclerosis
Society issues for Multiple Sclerosis
Hospitalization statistics for Multiple Sclerosis:
The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Multiple Sclerosis:
- 0.129% (16,411) of hospital consultant episodes were for multiple sclerosis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 90% of hospital consultant episodes for multiple sclerosis required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 31% of hospital consultant episodes for multiple sclerosis were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 69% of hospital consultant episodes for multiple sclerosis were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 23% of hospital consultant episodes for multiple sclerosis required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 13.9 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for multiple sclerosis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 4 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for multiple sclerosis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- more statistics...»
Organs Affected by Multiple Sclerosis:
Organs and body systems related to Multiple Sclerosis include:
Name and Aliases of Multiple Sclerosis
Main name of condition: Multiple Sclerosis
Class of Condition for Multiple Sclerosis: autoimmune
Other names or spellings for Multiple Sclerosis:
MS
MS
Source - Diseases Database
MS, Disseminated sclerosis, Disseminated multiple sclerosis
Source - WordNet 2.1
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» Next page: Online Medical Textbooks for Multiple Sclerosis
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