MS Awareness Week 2020

MS Awareness Week 2020 will run from 20 – 26 April 2020, and it is a chance to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and the reality of living with it. MS is often misunderstood with many people not realising what it is actually like to live with it. By speaking about MS in MS Awareness Week, it can really change that.

What is MS?

Multiple Sclerosis is a condition which causes damage to the nerves in your brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). “Sclerosis” means scarring and refers to the damage to the nerves caused by MS. “Multiple” is added because this can happen in more than one place.

Facts about MS

• It is estimated that 130,000 people in the UK have MS.
• Every week 100 more people are diagnosed.
• It is nearly three times more common in women than in men.
• Most people are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s, but it can be diagnosed in younger and older people.
• MS is not infectious or contagious.
• MS is a lifelong condition, but it is not a terminal illness.
• Everyone’s MS is different so no two people will have the same range and severity of symptoms even if they are closely related.

What are the symptoms?

In MS only the nerves in the brain and/or spine are damaged. However, because these nerves control the functions of the whole body, MS can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Some of the common symptoms around the time of diagnosis can include fatigue, unusual feelings in your skin, problems with your eyesight, memory problems and walking problems. Other possible symptoms that can happen in MS include muscle stiffness and spasms, bladder and bowel problems, and sexual difficulties.

Many of these symptoms can be invisible to other people, and this can mean you look well to others, when you are actually feeling very unwell.

Not everyone’s MS is the same. MS is divided into three main types:

• Relapsing remitting MS.
• Secondary progressive MS.
• Primary progressive MS.

Sometimes there can be some doubt as to which type you have, especially when you are first diagnosed. Your Neurologist will advise you which MS you have.

Can MS be treated?

At the moment, there is no cure for MS, but there is a wide range of possible treatments which you can discuss with health professionals, including:

• Symptomatic Treatments.
• Disease modifying drugs.
• Complementary therapies.

For more information on MS Awareness Week, and for more information in relation to the MS, you can visit their website at www.mssociety.org