MS affects approximately 5,000 people in the Republic. It usually begins between the ages of 20 and 40 and is more common in women.
Most people in the early stages have periods of relatively good health (remissions) alternating with debilitating flare ups (relapses). About half of people with MS go on to develop a progressive form of the condition, while a smaller number experience a steady deterioration in function from the time of diagnosis. It is not known what causes MS but it is thought that a virus or other outside agent somehow triggers the immune system into attacking itself.
The environment plays a role in MS; people living near the equator rarely get the condition while those living in temperate climates have the highest incidence. The symptoms of MS are highly variable and individualised but include mood symptoms, tremor and difficulty maintaining balance.
Double vision and numbness are also common. Depression occurs in 50 to 60 per cent of patients. For most patients MS involves a slow but progressive disability. 25 years after disease onset some 80 per cent of MS patients will require assistance with walking.
MS in itself rarely leads to death. It is more common for a patient to succumb to a complication of the disease, for example pneumonia or kidney problems. Many people with the illness continue to live active and full lives.
Treatment options include the short term use of steroids and interferon injections. Tysabri, a new drug for MS that had shown particular promise, was recently withdrawn from the market by the pharmaceutical company Elan.