June 7, 2016 /
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In 1838, the English physician Robert Carswell sketched the effects of a mysterious illness which left many (multiple) hard (sclerotic) scars on the brain and the spinal chord. These changes gave the illness its name: multiple sclerosis (MS).
The cause for multiple sclerosis was unknown – and remains so to this day. Scientists discuss whether MS might be triggered, among other things, by infections (such as herpes viruses) contracted during childhood or early youth, environmental or genetic factors.
MS develops when the harmoniously coordinated elements of the human immune system lose their finely balanced equilibrium. The course of the disease varies greatly from person to person. The symptoms often reappear in different forms.
Doctors distinguish among four different forms of multiple sclerosis, depending on the frequency of the attacks and the patient’s momentary condition:
- Relapsing-remitting MS begins with this most common form in 80 percent of patients. The symptoms appear suddenly, usually last several days and then diminish to a greater or lesser extent.
- Secondary progressive: This form develops in about 50 percent of patients who have relapsing-remitting MS within the space of ten years. The disease progresses steadily with or without attacks or relapses.
- Primary progressive: This is the most serious form. It affects between 10 and 20 percent of all MS patients. From the outset, the symptoms do not develop in the form of attacks; rather the person’s physical condition deteriorates continuously.
- Progressive Relapsing: This form is characterized by a steady progression of the disease from diagnosis and the presence of attacks with or without recovery. This is the less common form of MS.
Source: BAYER
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