Saturday, June 25, 2011

how to diagnose ms

how to diagnose msMultiple sclerosis or MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It is sometimes indicated by the letters MS or MS (multiple sclerosis). It is an inflammatory demyelinating disease. Myelin is a fatty substance that insulates nerves, allowing the fast transmission of impulses.
In multiple sclerosis, the loss of myelin (demyelination) in the central nervous system due to the blocking or slowing down the normal conduction of nerve impulses, resulting in producing various characteristic symptoms.
Given the multiple sites of plaque this has an important and varied clinical picture.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS = inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system.

Who gets multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis may occur between the ages of 15 and 50 years, with a peak incidence between 20 and 30 years.

It affects more women than men have a greater chance of developing the disease than men (3 women, 2 men).
Multiple sclerosis is considered a multifactorial disease and the factors of most importance are:
- Genetic predisposition
- Environmental factors acting early in the life of
- Age of the subject
- Dysregulation of immune effector mechanisms with central nervous system damage
In particular, epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to an infectious agent, most likely a virus, in combination with a genetic susceptibility, could be implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

With what symptoms manifest?
Symptoms depend on the localization of inflammatory foci. Since they can be affected all regions of the central nervous system that contain myelin, the symptoms of MS are extremely variable.

Main symptoms: abnormal strength, sensation of numbness and decreased sensitivity, visual problems, muscle spasticity, impaired articulation of speech, bowel and bladder problems, fatigue. The clinical course of MS varies from patient to patient and may also change during the life of a single patient. It is a changing disease, polymorphic, highly unpredictable.
Multiple sclerosis may develop into an extremely variable.

There are 4 types of progression of multiple sclerosis: relapsing-remitting MS, secondary progressive, with progression to relapse, and primary progressive.
There is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis.
In the past, the main treatment of multiple sclerosis was represented by steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as adrenocorticotropin (known as ACTH), prednisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, betamethasone and dexamethasone.
Currently, methylprednisolone, corticosteroid anti-inflammatory properties, is used in the treatment of disease exacerbations in relapsing-remitting MS, as it has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the severity and duration of relapses. High doses of methylprednisolone were effective also in improving spasticity in progressive forms of multiple sclerosis.
Clinical research in recent years has produced significant progress in demonstrating the effectiveness of preventive drugs for reducing the frequency of relapses and slow the clinical course. Drugs are immuno-modulators, because they reduce the intensity with which the immune system attacks the nervous system. Because chemotherapy drugs are reserved for cases of multiple sclerosis with rapidly progressive and disabling that does not respond sufficiently to an immuno-modulator drug.

Therapies available: steroids, immuno-modulators, immunosuppressants

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