Multiple Sclerosis is not a sentence of doom and gloom

International Multiple Sclerosis Month

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to provide you with some information on Multiple Sclerosis.

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is not a contagious disease, and it's not hereditary - so where does it come from? Researchers lean towards the idea that it is triggered by a viral infection, with some people being extra susceptible to developing MS.

The disease attacks the myelin sheath which protects the nerves within the Central Nervous System, leaving behind many scleroses, or scars (hence multiple sclerosis). This can affect nerves anywhere in the body, and interrupts the flow of communication between the brain and the body - which is why you can get such a range of impairments.

MS is a disease characterised by a feeling of loss of control over your body. Although mental functions are maintained in most cases, there is the feeling that the body  "lags behind". The cause is unknown, but the consequences can be devastating, as the disease attacks the brain, spinal cord and nerves of the eye, causing physical debilitation and a wide range of disabilities.

Early symptoms may include:

- Strange sensations in the limbs - tingling, numbness, itching and pain.
- Loss of vision in one eye.
- Double vision.
- Suddenly losing balance or having difficulty walking.
- Weakness in one limb.

As the disease progresses, you may have severe fatigue and loss of mobility and the like to contend with. Being dependent on others for help, constantly having to ask for assistance can be devastating and depressing. Under these circumstances, or for a time just after a severe relapse, people with MS can in fact enhance their independence if they are prepared to make use of a wheelchair to help them get around.

Unpredictable

Just how much disability you will experience from MS - and when - is largely unpredictable, like so much about this disease. Most people with MS get occasional relapses that steadily advance the progress of the disease. In between bouts, they may live for many years without any deterioration.

What can be done?

It's not all gloom and doom. Most patients with a diagnosis of MS can expect no real difference to their life expectancy. And with advances in treatment, many of those years will be productive and free of serious disability.

Although there is no cure for MS, much can be done to treat symptoms, and new drugs actually delay the progression of the disease. Interferons are proteins naturally produced in the body, and one of them, interferon beta has been proven to be active in MS.  Using state of the art bio-engineering techniques, interferon beta 1a which is the same as the natural interferon beta, can be manufactured and administered to MS patients. Interferon beta 1a is able to extend the time between relapses by almost double. It also reduces the total number of relapses and their severity. This seems to be a consequence of the interferon's ability to enhance the actions of the immune system.

Out in the open

One serious consequence of the public's misunderstanding of MS has a huge impact on how people cope with the disease. Because employers in particular don't realise that a person with MS has quite a good life expectancy, and can be helped by modern drugs to remain productive, patients are afraid to tell employers that they are ‘MS-ers'. They fear they will lose their jobs, and with some justification. This secrecy may add up to more depression and anxiety for the person who has MS. 

People with MS must not be scared to seek help from the start, MS is not that common but there are many sufferers. It is important to remember that because there is no cure it doesn't mean there is no treatment.

What if I do have MS?

One final factor which may impact on your emotional state if you have MS is the understanding of friends and family. If they are in denial (which does happen), they may be very unhelpful about simple things like parking close to your destination, or they may push you to do things you are not comfortable with.

If they accept and understand the diagnosis, they may take the opposite tack, treating you as a bedridden and incapable invalid who needs constant watching and helping - which is hardly good for your self-esteem and sense of independence!

MS people need help when they ask for it; but most of all, they need the affirmation that they will be treated as ordinary human beings, independent and useful, for as long as possible. Awareness and understanding of the disease by the general public will help everyone with MS, and the people who live with them and care about them.

If you would like to know how GEMS can assist you to obtain more information about any of your healthcare needs, you can phone the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and well-being.

Martina Nicholson Associates