What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. MS is an unpredictable condition. Some people with the disease might only notice mild effects, while others might lose the ability to speak, walk, or write as the condition disrupts communication between the brain and other areas of the body.

In MS, the immune system attacks various sites in the brain and spinal cord where nerve fibers are insulated from each other by a substance called myelin. The immune system causes inflammation of and damage to myelin sheaths, which slows down or blocks messages between the brain and body. This leads to the symptoms of MS.

When a person with MS experiences a lessening of these inflammatory reactions, there usually is a scar (sclerosis) left behind as evidence of the healing process. The pattern of multiple scars are the root of the disease’s name.

Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
2014 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02462
Phone: 617-243-NWMS
Fax: 617-243-6035

Symptoms of MS

The symptoms of MS you experience are related to the part of your nervous system that is inflamed as a result of the disease. Because the nervous system is involved in so many of the body’s functions, MS can lead to a number of symptoms, such as:

• Bowel/bladder issues, such as an urgent need to go to the bathroom, greater frequency, incontinence, retention, or constipation
• Movement problems, including weakness, clumsiness, tremors, spasms, and paralysis
• Sensory issues, including loss of ability to sense vibration, temperature, pain, touch, or position; loss of joint sensation; dizziness; numbness; irritating sensations; or tingling/electrical sensations
• Slurred speech
• Visual issues, including jerky eyes, double vision, loss of color vision, blurred/dimmed vision, and blindness

Many people who have MS experience remissions, flare-ups, and improvements throughout the course of their disease. Scattered areas of their nervous systems may experience inflammation, which can lead to varying symptoms. Learn more about how we diagnose MS.

MS is an Autoimmune Disease

Researchers believe MS is an autoimmune disease. This type of condition occurs when the body’s immune system attacks normal body tissue, rather than viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, and other harmful foreign invaders. In MS, myelin is the normal body tissue that the immune system seems to target.

The cause of MS isn’t yet known. However, many researchers believe a virus may prompt the immune system to attack the myelin sheaths surrounding nerve fibers.

A person’s environment also may play a role in the development of MS. The disease occurs more often in people who live farther from the equator than people who live close to the equator. The place where a person spends the first 15 years of his or her life also seems to factor into the likelihood of developing MS.

In addition, family history may be involved in a person’s risk for MS. There is some increased risk for a person developing MS if they have family members who also have had the disease.