multiple sclerosis (MS)
A degenerative inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly begins to attack the nervous system, making multiple sclerosis an autoimmune disease. It damages the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects your nerve cells. This damage slows down or blocks messages between your brain and your body, leading to the symptoms of MS. Symptoms of this disease include: muscle weakness, sensations such as numbness, prickling or "pins and needles", thinking and memory problems, trouble with coordination and balance, and visual disturbances.
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What Is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
Last Modified: July 20, 2010
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly begins to attack the nervous system,… View Full Article
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