Multiple Sclerosis

Let me start off by explaining what MS is. Multiple Sclerosis is when, for reasons scientists are not yet sure of, a person’s immune system attacks the myelin that covers and protects the spinal cord and nerve fibers in your brain. After the myelin is damaged, the nerve fibers then are attacked by the immune system as well. This causes nerve damage, fatigue, vision loss, poor balance, and more unpleasant side effects. Multiple Sclerosis itself isn’t necessarily the cause of death, however, it 's the complications of MS that take a great toll on one’s health.

MEDICATION COMPLIANCE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder with no known cause or cure. Due to this fact, it is beneficial for patients begin disease modifying therapy once a definitive diagnosis has been made. Because disease modifying therapy is expensive, has potentially fatal side effects and the onset of debility can be delayed for years, many patients elect not to start disease modifying therapy or choose to discontinue therapy shortly after starting. The purpose of this paper is to explore ways to increase medication compliance. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune cells attack the protective myelin sheath surrounding nerves which leave plaques or scars that

Multiple Sclerosis or MS happens when the body's immune system attacks the myelin; a fatty material that protects your nerve fibers. MS is a long lasting disease that may affect a persons spinal cord, brain, and optic nerves causing issues with balance, muscle control and basic body functions. In many cases, people don't show symptoms until they are between the age of 20-40. There is no specfic reason as to what causes MS, but doctor say people that smoke or have certain genes have a greater chance of getting. Multiple Sclerosis symptoms often include unusual sensations, trouble walking, dizziness, fatigue, muscle spasms, thinkng problems and blurry vision.

According to Multiple Sclerosis, a pamphlet by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Multiple Sclerosis is caused by the scarring and inflammation of brain and spinal cord tissue (Richert, 1990). This inflammation actually breaks down the myelin of those nerves, which makes it difficult for a nerve cell to send impulses needed for doing simple things like walking or eating. After the myelin has been stripped away it is followed by the hardening of, or sclerosis, of nervous system tissue, which is how the disease gets its name. This illness usually only shortens a person’s life by five years.

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the myelin covering on the nerves. The myelin sheath usually protects the axons and speeds the transmission between nerve cells, so the demyelination of nerves causes interruption or loss of signals from the brain to the body, often making movement and speech difficult as well as causing mild to extreme pain. Other symptoms of multiple sclerosis include fatigue, loss of bladder control, mood swings, and a number of others. Effects of multiple sclerosis vary from patient to patient. Some deteriorate rapidly, while others may experience the effects of MS much more slowly.

As of 2013, the number of people with MS was estimated to be over 2.3 million worldwide. ( atlas 2013) Most of the non-traumatic disabilities in young adults are caused by MS [1]. It is considered that an interaction of genetic factors, environmental predisposition, and abnormal immune responses can be the chief causes of MS, But the exact etiology of MS is still in question [2]. MS has been greatly studied within the recent years, but a great number of clinical challenges still remain in regard to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.[6]

Multiple Sclerosis is when the immune system attacks the nervous system. Higgins has multiple lesions on her brain and spine and she relapses and remits which means she gets sick and then better but she never restores complete function of her brain and body. To her children, MS means “Many Scars” because she has scars on her brain and spine. Harper and Hudson are too little to understand Multiple Sclerosis but they understand that sometimes Higgins is sick and in pain.

In “Am I MS?” Miriamne Ara Krummel talks about her personal journey she endured dealing with multiple sclerosis. Krummel further explains at the end how she was finally able to accept her diagnosis and to embrace it. She finds that it’s important to be open about the disease. She believes that, “it might be helpful if more people would talk about death and dying as an intrinsic part of life” (76-77).When she was first diagnosed, she had a difficult time coping with MS.

(Digital Sport News, 2) Kayla Montgomery, a runner with MS, a disease that can disrupt and block nerve signals that go between the brain and lower body, is happy when she runs because she feels safe from her disease which is an obstacle in her

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALS is also named Lou Gehrig’s disease because he was the first person to bring ALS to a national attention in the 1930’s. Lou Gehrig’s amazing professional baseball career was ended short by this horrific disease. There are multiple treatments for ALS, but no cure for this fatal disease. In 2014, ALS was brought to major attention by the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Although Lou has the disease named after him, there are several other notable individuals who have been diagnosed with ALS. These individuals include Stephen Hawking, Jim Hunter, Steve Gleason, George Yardley

This may damage or ultimately kill nerve cells, and spread as the disease progresses; one of the advanced stages is that brain shrinkage may occur. Researchers are working to refine brain scan techniques to identify Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy tau deposits in living brains. They are also looking for clues in people’s blood or cerebrospinal fluid that would allow them diagnose the disease before death. A large-scale study found that concussions in adolescents can increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis later on in life. There are hints that head trauma may also be linked to the development of many other conditions, including multiple sclerosis.

According to WebMD, the first type of spinal muscular disease is the most serious variant due to the fact that most children with type 1 fail to live past two years of age from breathing issues because the muscles that control breathing are feeble. Symptoms of type 1 include limp arms and legs as well as the trouble swallowing. Moreover, type 2 spinal muscular atrophy occurs with children from six to eighteen months old. According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, children with type 2 are able to sit on their own, but fail to walk more than 10 feet, however, once they mature to a teenager, they will be unable to sit independently. A symptom common for people diagnosed with type 2 is the fingers quivering (National Organization for Rare Diseases).

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that affects the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brain. Due to degeneration or destruction of the motor neurons, muscles throughout the body begin to become weak and waste away to the point that an individual has no muscle movement. In most cases, due to having muscle strength, a patient with ALS will succumb to their disease because of respiratory failure or dehydration and malnutrition. It is a progressive disease with a prognosis of 3 to 5 years after initial diagnosis. There is no cure for the disease as of now. This paper will discuss a more in depth look into the symptoms, diagnosis process, treatment options, medications, prognosis, and ongoing research.

What is it like to have ALS or a CTE? Either a progressive neurological disease that attacks your motor skills or one that attacks the cognitive parts of the brain. Each one has its own particular attack strategy. On one hand the body is rendered completely motionless while being completely conscious of the outside environment. On the other, the body stays unharmed while it slowly loses the mind, both are equally devastating.

Imagine being a competitive athlete that can do almost anything and in a matter of seconds never being able to hug love ones or do the simple everyday tasks many take for granted. That’s how life is when a person is diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) it’s a fatal disease that causes a person to lose complete control of their body and constantly need assistance. Having ALS also means having to watch the body deteriorate when the mind is perfectly aware of its own demise. Being diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative disease caused by multiple severe concussions to the head.