How does multiple sclerosis happen in the body?

MS is thought to start as a reaction where the immune system attacks the central nervous system (CNS) by mistake

Is there only one type of MS?

Everyone experiences MS differently. For a doctor’s purposes, there are 4 types of MS:

Who gets MS?

"Who gets MS" is more complicated than separating people into race and gender.

Statistically, MS is most often diagnosed in:

• People in their 20s and 30s
• Women
• People of Northern European descent

MS affects different types of people in different ways:

• Men may progress faster than women
• People of African descent may experience more severe MS
• MS affects people of all genders and races differently

Is MS a genetic condition?

Genetics likely play a role in MS, but genes don’t tell the whole story

• Greater risk of getting MS if a parent or sibling has it
• Only 2% of parents with MS have a child with the condition

Does where I live affect my risk of getting MS?

MS is not common worldwide, but it is more common in people farther away from the equator

• MS is not common worldwide, but it is more common in people farther away from the equator
• Current research suggests there is a link between vitamin D deficiencies and MS
  • Sunlight is a source of vitamin D
  • Current research suggests a link between MS and not having enough vitamin D
• More research is needed to understand the relationship between geography, vitamin D, and MS

What is the Epstein-Barr virus?
Does it cause MS?

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be associated with MS but is not a
direct cause

• 99% of people with MS have been exposed to EBV
• 95% of everyone else has, too
• More research is needed to determine the relationship between MS and EBV

Why is MS so hard to diagnose?

There is no single symptom or test that can properly diagnose MS. Some MS symptoms:

• Are not clear signs of MS
• Change over time

Because MS is different for everyone, doctors follow the McDonald criteria to diagnose it. The criteria look at:

• Medical history
• Neurological exam
• MRI

What can magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tell doctors about MS?

MRI is the best way to detect lesions in the brain and spinal cord that almost all people with MS have. MRI can:

• Show “clinically silent” lesions
• Find disease activity that doesn’t cause symptoms

MRI does have limitations. Scans can sometimes:

• Look like other conditions
• Fail to show the cause of certain symptoms

MRI is not a complete diagnosis

Is MS fatal?

Most people with MS can expect to live as long as their peers who don’t have MS.

Does everyone with MS end up in a wheelchair?

Living with MS is much different today than it was 20 years ago

• Symptom management improves quality of life
• The majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled

Doctors describe disability using the Expanded Disability Status Scale

When can MS affect memory and concentration?

• Cognitive problems affect 30%-70% of people with MS
• They can happen at any time of the disease
• Cognitive problems can occur early in the disease even when someone doesn’t have signs of physical disability
• Cognitive symptoms are invisible but can be hard for people with MS to deal with
• Practical, effective ways to help manage problems with cognition:
  • Support from friends and family
  • Programs focused on ways to cope with cognitive symptoms

If someone with MS is tired, does it mean that her or his disease is severe?

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS. It does not mean a person’s MS is severe

• Fatigue affects about 70% of people with MS
• Ways to manage fatigue include regular exercise and conserving energy

Is it normal to have more than one relapse per year?

Because MS affects everyone differently, there is no “normal” MS disease course

• How often relapses happen varies from person to person
• More than one relapse per year may be a sign that the MS could be better controlled

When you don’t feel symptoms, does it mean MS has stopped?

• Relapsing-remitting MS symptoms come and go
• It is possible for someone with MS to feel better
• Symptoms aren’t the only signs of MS
• Signs of MS may be "clinically silent"
• Stress, fatigue, heat, and infection can make MS symptoms temporarily worse
• Treating MS is a marathon—not a sprint
• MS treatments focus on managing MS for life

Is there a cure for MS?

Although there is no cure for MS, there is progress toward effectively managing it

• A number of therapies are approved to reduce relapses
• Symptom management options aim to improve quality of life for people with MS and their families
• Research continues to expand our understanding

Can stem cells stop relapses and even
reverse MS?

Stem cells are both a new frontier and a highly controversial field

• More research is necessary to understand their promise
  and dangers
• No stem cell treatment is currently approved by the FDA

Can women with MS have children?

Many women with MS can and do have children. It’s important
to consider:

• There is only a 2% chance of passing MS to a child
• Risk of relapse goes down during pregnancy
• Risk of relapse goes up for 3 months after delivery

Is it true that people with MS cannot exercise?

When done correctly, exercise can benefit people with MS

• Improve symptoms, disability, and quality of life
• Possible activities include walking, cycling, yoga,
  and weight training
• Precautions make exercise safer

Is it true that people with MS cannot work or go to school?

• MS does not necessarily mean an exit from the workplace
  or from school
• MS treatments and symptom management strategies are available to make working easier
• Disclosing MS is a personal choice

People with chronic illnesses like MS who are considered to have a disability are guaranteed certain rights in the workplace