HEALTH AND WELLNESS

MS is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system [CNS], which is the brain and spinal cord. Many physicians believe that MS is an autoimmune disease. This term refers to a group of diseases in which the immune system goes awry and attacks certain tissues of the body. The cause of MS is unknown, but viral infection has been considered as a possible triggering factor. The end result, it seems, is that components of the immune system target the myelin sheath covering the nerve fibers of the CNS, leaving plaques or lesions on the myelin, which is an important fatty substance. Indeed, the name multiple sclerosis refers to the multiple patches of scar tissues appearing on the nerve fibers. Myelin shields certain nerve fibers, providing a form of electrical insulation. So when myelin breaks down, electrical impulses may be completely blocked, or they may short-circuit to adjacent nerves, producing an abnormal impulse. And because damage can occur anywhere in the CNS, no t

                        LIVING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AVIS was driving home alone when suddenly her vision became blurred. She quickly stopped the car. After a few minutes, her sight cleared, and she continued on her way, attributing the incident to tiredness. Then, while on vacation four years later, AVIS awoke in the middle of the night with severe headache. She went to the hospital, where a doctor gave her an analgesic and kept her under observation, fearing a possible aneurysm. The next day the pain was gone. However, AVIS felt very weak. She even had difficulty holding a glass of water, and she felt a tingling, blurring sensation on her right side. Concerned, she and her husband cut short their vacation and drove home. The following morning at breakfast, AVIS could not control her fork, and the right side of her entire body now felt weak. She went to a hospital, where doctors gave her a battery of tests that ruled out stroke. Unaware of the event that had