What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS, pronounced "em-es") is a disease of the central nervous system. The central nervous system comprises the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. In MS, the involvement of these systems can lead to impairments in sensory, visual, walking, speech, and balance functions, among others. It is estimated that there are approximately 40,000 MS patients in Turkey.

Is there a gender difference in the prevalence of MS?
MS is twice as common in women, meaning around 70% of MS patients are female. Many other autoimmune diseases are also more common in women. Factors such as the differences in hormonal balance in women may contribute to this discrepancy.

At what ages does MS occur?
While the prevalence of MS varies in different parts of the world, the age of onset is similar globally.

The onset of MS in most patients is between the ages of 20 and 40, making it a disease of the young. It is also possible for the disease to begin at earlier or later ages. Approximately 10% of patients experience their first symptoms in childhood. However, the onset of MS before the age of 15 and after the age of 60 is quite rare.

What happens in MS?
The primary issue in MS is that immune cells mistakenly attack the cells of the central nervous system. The exact cause of this immune system malfunction, the types of changes that occur in the immune system, and how nerve cells are affected are not yet fully understood. Much like the protective sheath around an electrical cable, there is a fatty tissue that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system, known as myelin. In MS, the main affected part is the myelin, but there are also disruptions in the core part of the nerve cell, known as the axon.