Living with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the commonest disease of the central nervous system (CNS) among young adults. It affects more than one million people world-wide and about 85,000 in the UK. About twice as many women as men are diagnosed with MS.

The CNS comprises the brain and spinal cord, which, with the nerves connecting to the rest of the body, form the body's communication network. The myelin sheath protecting the nerves is often likened to insulation materials around an electric wire. In MS, the myelin sheath is damaged in some way, altering the way messages or nerve impulses are conducted to and from the brain and so disrupting bodily functions.

MS can affect any part of the body.

The most common symptoms are: double or blurred vision; loss of sight in one eye; spasticity or tremors; bladder and bowel problems; poor co-ordination; weakness and fatigue; tingling, pins and needles, numbness and itching. At its worst, MS can cause severe disability, and in some cases people with MS do have to use a wheelchair in order to improve their mobility.