Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects approximately 400,000 Americans and 2.1 million people worldwide. It is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease that can slowly take away a person’s ability to walk, communicate, and live. What causes this debilitating disease? Can anything be done to minimize your risk? And what should you do if you or a loved one starts experiencing symptoms?

What is MS?

For patients with MS, the body’s immune system attacks and damages the central nervous system (CNS), slowing or stopping nerve transmission.