Multiple Sclerosis Silent Battle

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Multiple Sclerosis the Silent Battle Randall Anderson COM/172 June-09,2014 MR. Wollenberg Multiple Sclerosis the Silent Battle At age 37 Amy's life changed forever, and it started with muscle spasms in the legs during sleeping and eventual numbness from the waist down. Her first thought was maybe she had pinched a nerve in her back, but decided to visit her doctor for a better explanation. Not more than an hour after leaving the doctor's office Amy received a call from the doctor instructing her to go to the hospital and admit herself. Several test and 6 days later Amy is diagnosed with MS and her life is forever changed. Multiple Sclerosis or MS is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis…show more content…
What causes Multiple Sclerosis is still a mystery to researchers and doctors. Researchers believe that many factors and there interaction involved. These factors include Immunologic factors, environmental factors, infectious factors, genetic factors, and viruses. (National MS Society, 2014) Immunological factors. “Immunology is the study or the science of the body's immune system”. (National MS Society, 2014) This process has allowed researchers to identify what cells are attacking the central nervous system the factors causing the attack and the sites on the myelin that seem to attract the immune cells and their attack. Environmental factors. Multiple Sclerosis commonly found in areas located far from the equator. Vitamin D has been identified to play a significant role this people who live closer to the equator get a lot more sunlight thus more natural Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps promote immune function and may help fight against MS. Smoking seems to have an effect on every aspect of a person health, Researchers suggest that smoking has shown to increase disease progression and that stopping smoking has been shown to slow…show more content…
With MS being such a variable disease with no concrete evidence as to the cause doctors, have to use various strategies in making a proper diagnosis. These procedures include but are not limited to a full neurological examination including an MRI, and spinal fluid analysis using a spinal tap. An MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a preferred method of diagnosing and monitoring the disease as the MRI offers the most noninvasive and most sensitive way of looking at the central nervous system. There are two types of scan they are T1 weighted and T2 weighted. An MRI does not use radiation but measures the water content in tissue and since the myelin that protects the nerve fibers made of fatty tissue and repels water the MRI looks for these areas that are now holding water. The area usually shows up in one of two ways a bright white spot or a dark spot depending on the scan used. The MRI alone cannot diagnose MS by itself doctors use another test that looks at the CSF or cerebrospinal fluid. Cerebrospinal fluid or CSF is the clear colorless liquid that covers the brain and spinal cord. The CSF has two functions its primary function is to act as a shock absorber for the central nervous system. The secondary functions to circulate nutrients and remove waste products from the brain. Doctors use this fluid in diagnosing many different diseases involving the nervous system including Multiple Sclerosis. In MS doctors examine

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