Multiple Sclerosis stages explained

Affecting the brain and the spinal cord, multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the myelin sheath. Between 2 and 150 per 100,000 people are suffering from this disease and it's normally diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 40, but it could occur in younger and older patients as well.

Treatments are more effective when the disease is diagnosed at an early stage. If treatment is started early, then there is a better chance of halting the disease or reducing its progression.

The following are some of the symptoms of MS and it includes blurred or double vision, thinking problems, clumsiness or a lack of coordination, loss of balance, numbness, tingling, weakness in an arm or leg, bladder problems, dizziness, fatigue, and spasms

Following are some of the stages of multiple:

1) Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS)

2) Primary-Progressive MS (PPMS)

3) Secondary-Progressive MS (SPMS)

4) Progressive-Relapsing MS (PRMS)

More than 80% of patients start with Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS): During this stage, a person may undergo more sporadic attacks, which are known as exacerbations or relapses.  With relapses there may be severe unpredictable exacerbations.  There may be full, partial or sometimes no recovery at all after each attack

Approximately 15% of patients will suffer from Primary-Progressive MS. These patients don’t have relapses or attacks.  In these patients, their neurological deficit gradually gets worst, without improving.

In Secondary-Progressive MS, it starts off like the relapsing-remitting stage. However, over time, after each attach there is not full recovery and in some cases there is constant worsening of symptoms.

Finally the Progressive-Relapsing MS which is the least common form, where there are acute attacks with only partial recovery after each attack.