Multiple Sclerosis Essay

Multiple Sclerosis is a nervous system disease that affects the spinal cord and the brain by damaging the myelin sheaths that protects nerve cells. Destroyed myelin prevents messages from communicating and sending properly from the brain, through the spinal cord, to internal body parts. In the United States, more than 350,000 people are diagnosed with this disease. Anyone can get this disease, but it is more common among Caucasian women. MS symptoms begin between the ages 20-40 and are caused by nerve lesions being present in multiple areas of the Central Nervous System, symptoms differ on the lesion’s location.

Patients whose lesion is in the Cerebrum & Cerebellum will experience loss of balance and coordination, difficulty speaking, and frequent limb trembles. Speech difficulties vary from slurred words, long pause between words, and swallowing problems. Patients whose lesion is in the Motor nerve tracts will experience weakened and stiffened muscles, blurred vision or vision impaired, and urinary problems. Weakened and stiffened muscles causes walking disabilities and painful feeling of muscle spasms in 6 to 10 people. Patients whose lesion is in the Sensory nerve tract will experience sensory alternations, fatigue, cognitive and emotional dysfunction, and loss of sexual interest. Difference sensations experienced are numbness, itching, burning, stabbing, or tearing pains.

Most people can live their near-normal life span or die. Women tend to have a better outlook than men, but 20% undergoes rapid progression and another 20% still experience symptoms. There are different treatment options available, which include 10 FDA-approved disease-modifying drugs that slow the progression of the disease by reducing the number of ne...

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...d, “The Low-fat Study.” He placed 150 MS & Narcolepsy patients on a low saturated fat diet. They were graded by Prof Swank with a neurological disability scale and during the 34 years, some expressed rapid progression of MS and Narcolepsy. Some were confined to using a wheelchair or being in bed rest as well as many others who died. Lowering saturated fat consumption was enough to cause a change in the progression of MS and Narcolepsy. The death rates of poor dieters were much higher than those of good dieters. It is evident that by eating the proper foods and exercising regularly patients experiencing both of these diseases can improve their health conditions. These diseases can happen to people of different ages and races, but following the right treatment, nutrition, and lifestyle can result in a healthy body at any age even with these life altering conditions.