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What
is Multiple Sclerosis?
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The Multiple Sclerosis
(MS) is a disease of the central nervous system in which we can see
two main parts: the brain and the spinal cord. Surrounding and
protecting nervous fibers of the central nervous system there is a
material made up of proteins and fats called myelin that facilitates
the conduction of the electrical impulses between nervous fibers. In
Multiple Sclerosis the myelin is lost in multiple areas leaving,
sometimes, scars (sclerosis). These injured areas are also known
with the name of demyelination plates. |
The myelin not only protects the nervous fibers but also facilitates
its function. If the myelin is destroyed or injured, the ability of
the nerves to lead electrical impulses from and to the brain is
interrupted and this fact produces the appearance of symptoms.
Luckyly, the injury of the myelin is reversible in many occasions.
It depends on the injured areas of the central nervous system and
all the people are not affected in the same way. The symptoms not
only vary between different people but also in a same person and
according to the moment. Also they can vary in gravity and duration.
A person with MS experiments normally more of a symptom but all the
people are not going to experience all the existing symptoms.
The symptoms include weakness, creeps, little coordination, tires,
visual problems, balance problems, alterations, tremor, muscular
rigidity, intestinal or urinary upheavals, problems of the speech,
problems to walk, instability, problems in the sexual function,
sensitivity to the heat, memory problems in the short term and
occasionally problems of judgment or reasoning. It is necessary to
highlight that most of the people with MS do not have all these
symptoms.
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