March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.
Multiple sclerosis, often called MS, doesn’t look the same in every person with the disease and symptoms may vary widely. One person might struggle with vision problems while another is very fatigued or has trouble walking. This wide range of experiences can make MS hard to recognize and difficult to understand.
Multiple sclerosis occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, the protective coating around nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Myelin helps messages move quickly and clearly between the brain and the body. When it’s damaged, those messages can slow down or get blocked. The result depends on where the damage occurs, which is why symptoms vary so much.