What is multiple sclerosis?
Q: What is multiple sclerosis?
A: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious health condition where the body's natural immune system damages the fatty coverings called myelin sheaths around nerve cells in the central nervous system.
Q: How does MS affect the body?
A: MS can cause different effects in different people, including poor body function, eyesight, speech, and mind function.
Q: Does MS affect people's life expectancy?
A: Yes, people with MS do not normally live as long as healthy people.
Q: What is the role of myelin sheaths in healthy people?
A: Myelin sheaths help neurons work properly by keeping electric signals moving quickly through long, narrow axons.
Q: What happens to myelin sheaths in people with MS?
A: In people with MS, immune cells cause inflammation within the central nervous system and result in the loss of the protective insulator called demyelination.
Q: How does the loss of myelin sheaths impair the body's ability to regrow its myelin?
A: Progressive loss of the myelin sheath and myelin-producing cells impair the body's ability to regrow its myelin.
Q: Why does the loss of myelin sheaths cause problems with the mind and body?
A: Without the protective covering, the signals between neurons do not travel well, and the mind and body cannot function normally.
