Multiple Sclerosis is a disease in which areas of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves are stripped of their myelin, which is the fat covering that insulates the nerve fibers. This makes it harder for the transmission of messages between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects about one million people worldwide but is more common in women.
The symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are varied in range, severity, and duration. The most common symptoms are optic neuritis. With these symptoms patients experience red-green colorblindness, muscle weakness, fatigue, loss of balance, spasms, or paralysis. In some instances even numbness, sensitivity to heat, mild attention deficits, or memory loss, and depression are some of the other symptoms that are experienced. It is difficult to diagnose Multiple Sclerosis, because the way the chemicals show up in tests are similar to those of other disorders. There is not a single test that can definitely detect Multiple Sclerosis. .
The risk of inheriting this disorder if another family member has it already is 300:1 if you are monozygoatal twins, and the risk is 20:1 through 40:1 if it is a single pregnancy. Scientist have also determined that most of the time, if one identical twin gets Multiple Sclerosis, the other twin is less likely to get stricken with the disease. .
Scientists have different theories on the cause of Multiple Sclerosis. Some scientists have noticed the genetic relationship of families stricken by this disease. But on the other hand they are exploring the possibility that the environment might have an effect. They have not proven the theories, but scientists are toying with the idea that if monozygoat twins are separated at birth and put into two different environments, their chances of getting Multiple Sclerosis are altered. Moving from place to place during childhood is another factor that is being viewed as another strong indicator for this disease.