MS Fact File
MS Gateway has compiled a facts list which should provide answers to some basic questions you may have about MS.
MS facts at a glance
• An estimated 2,500,000 people in the world have multiple sclerosis.
• MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system in young adults.
• Sclerosis means hardening of tissues from scarring - these are the plaques or lesions in the brain and spinal cord.
• In MS, the protective myelin covering of the nerve fibres in the central nervous system is damaged.
• Inflammation and ultimate loss of myelin causes disruption to nerve transmission and affects many functions of the body.
• While the exact cause of MS is not known, much is known about the effect of immune system function which may be the ultimate cause of the disease.
• MS is not directly hereditary, although genetic susceptibility plays a part in its development.
• MS is not contagious.
• More women than men have MS.
• Diagnosis of MS is generally between 20 and 40 years of age, although onset may be earlier.
• MS is rarely diagnosed under 12 and over 55 years of age.
• Life span is not significantly affected by MS.
• Fatigue is a common symptom of MS.
• MS is more common in countries further from the equator.
• Heat can cause symptoms to worsen temporarily in many people with MS.
• There is no drug that can cure MS, but treatments are now available which can modify the course of the disease.
Your doctor and your national MS society are important sources of information about MS.
Many of the symptoms of MS can be successfully managed and treated.
