What is MS?
MS is a long-term condition that affects the functioning of the brain and spinal cord, (the Central Nervous System or CNS).
MS is most likely to start in people aged between 20 and 40, although it may happen earlier or later. There are approximately 85,000 people with MS in the UK.
Nerves
The CNS is made up of millions of nerves. Each nerve is made up of a bundle of fibres called axons. These axons connect one nerve with another nerve. A nerve is like an electric wire. It carries messages, or 'impulses' around the body. The axon is covered by a sheath of myelin, which acts in a similar way to the plastic cover on an electrical wire. This myelin sheath means that messages can be sent more quickly to and from the brain.
What Happens to Nerves in MS?
In the nerves of people with MS, the myelin sheath becomes inflamed and then damaged. This can slow down or prevent messages travelling along nerve fibres, which in turn produces the symptoms seen with MS.
MS and the Immune System
The body has its own defence system to fight off 'attackers', like infection or other diseases. If you have MS, it is thought that the immune cells that normally protect you attack the myelin sheath, causing it to become inflamed. This inflammation can heal without permanently damaging the nerves. However, inflammation can cause breakdown of the myelin sheath, causing tiny scars to appear.
As a result, nerve impulses to muscles and other organs are affected causing symptoms like fatigue, weakness and loss of balance. The symptoms will depend upon where the inflammation or scarring occurs in the CNS and how much there is.