Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that makes it attack the myelin, a substance that protects the nerve endings that are spread throughout the entire body. The central nervous system is responsible for sending the white blood cells and the antibodies attack the viruses and bacteria that threaten to cause infections. When the nervous system is affected by multiple sclerosis it sends these guardian cells against the myelin. The cause of this behavior is not known yet but the scientist believe that it is sometimes genetically-based.
Multiple sclerosis affects more than a million people throughout the world and unfortunately there is no known treatment that can cure it. The only thing that multiple sclerosis therapy can do is to relive its symptoms and modify the way the illness advances and develops.
Multiple sclerosis therapy is done with the help of drugs. The type of drug administered depends on how multiple sclerosis manifests and on the patient.
The two main types of medication that are generally prescribed to multiple sclerosis patients are methylprednisolon and methotrexate.
Methylprednisolone can reduce the intensity of the attacks that occur when many antibodies are sent against the nerve endings and lighten the inflammation of the attacked areas. This drug can be in the form of pills and injections.
Methotrexate is a drug that is still in the test phase. It was initially designed to fight arthritis but some tests have found that it's effective against multiple sclerosis too. The future will tell us how good it is. Some doctors have started prescribing it.
There are some drugs that are administered only when certain symptoms occur. For example if the multiple sclerosis attacks the nerve endings of muscles the patient should take muscle pain relieving medication and do some physiotherapy.
Unfortunately many of the drugs used in multiple sclerosis therapy also have side-effects. The side-effects can be fever, indigestion, irritations of the skin, and drowsiness.
Some people prefer alternative therapies because the do not want to experience the side effects of the illness. The most popular alternative therapies are massage, acupuncture, yoga and relaxation tehniquies.
There are a lot of institutions that have the role of helping multiple sclerosis patients get in touch with the latest methods of treating this illness and to help them deal with the condition they have. Seeking help from one of these institutions is highly recommended.
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