Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults. Around 100,000 people in the UK have MS. MS is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 40, and women are almost three times as likely to develop it as men.
Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments and specialists can help you to manage many symptoms well. Although its cause is not known and a cure has yet to be identified, research continues into all aspects of the condition.
MS is the result of damage to myelin – a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system. When myelin is damaged, this interferes with messages between the brain and other parts of the body.