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Monday, October 22, 2012

From Another Perspective: Multiple sclerosis can be managed | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com


From Another Perspective: Multiple sclerosis can be managed

Jul. 15, 2012
You will recall from our last article that there are any number of diseases, accidents, birth, medical and genetic issues and the like that can affect almost anyone by causing a permanent disability.

There is one such issue, though, that, in addition to becoming a disability that can affect any person who has that dysfunction with varying degrees of paralysis, vision problems, balance and the like, can also affect anyone. It is definitely nondiscriminatory in that it can deal its difficulties to anybody, whether they are male or female, young or old, wealthy or not so well off and of any and all different races.

That dysfunction is multiple sclerosis.

We began our last article about MS by discussing two different individuals.
Jack Osbourne is the son of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Jack was diagnosed with MS just a few months ago, after he sought medical advice on why his right eye's vision was deteriorating. The various tests that he went through confirmed that diagnosis.

He is now eating right, while taking drugs that have been developed to treat MS and its various difficulties.

Ann Romney is married to Mitt Romney. Her MS diagnosis was pinpointed 10 years ago.

Since then, she has been able to control her MS by eating the proper foods to keep her strength and vigor well in place each day; taking the required MS medications to help her overcome its symptoms as much as possible; continuing a proper exercise program; and beginning a horse-riding physical therapy program.

MS really is a nondiscriminatory disease that can and does choose a very wide range of people, whether famous or not, in its "equal opportunity" nature. For example, here is just a very partial list of other celebrities who are now living with MS. They include such notables as Alan Osmond, Montel Williams and Laurie Elyse.

OK, what exactly is MS? According to the National Institutes of Health, MS usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 40, and it also seems to be more common in women than in men.
The typical symptoms usually manifest themselves as weakness of one's muscles, abnormal numbness sensations, surprising cognitive difficulties, a decline in one's previous coordination abilities and the beginnings of vision difficulties.

The NIH also indicates that MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the myelin sheath, which covers the surfaces of those cells in the central nervous system, especially the spinal cord; and causes inflammation of that myelin sheath, which serves to effectively and dramatically impair the nerve signals that go back and forth in those nerve cells to allow any person to do most of what he or she wants to do and that require motor functions.

There is no known cure for MS, but a number of drugs have been developed that can effectively help most people with MS continue to live reasonably well in spite of this disease.

In the meantime, both the NIH and the Mayo Clinic are suggesting regular exercises, getting a lot of rest, eating healthy and keeping cooler as many nonmedical things that people with MS can do to help relieve their symptoms.

While it is quite a difficult disease to have to live with, MS can be managed with today's drugs and taking better care of one's self.

The key here is being sure that you take better care of yourself.








From Another Perspective: Multiple sclerosis can be managed | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com



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