Multiple sclerosis (MS) involves an immune-mediated process in which an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The exact antigen — or target that the immune cells are sensitized to attack — remains unknown, which is why MS is considered by many experts to be "immune-mediated" rather than "autoimmune."
• Within the CNS, the immune system attacks myelin — the fatty substance that surrounds and
insulates the nerve fibers — as well as the nerve fibers themselves.
• The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name.
• When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses
traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing
a wide variety of symptoms.
• The disease is thought to be triggered in a genetically susceptible individual by a combination
of one or more environmental factors.
• People with MS typically experience one of four disease courses, which can be mild,
moderate
or severe.
Will you join our team?
Joining our team means you support critical funds to support local programs and cutting-edge research. Our team can get us closer to realizing our promise to STOP MS in its tracks, RESTORE lost function and END MS forever. Ending MS means no one will receive an MS diagnosis again. Every step counts. Every dollar helps. Every connection matters.
Our next event is:
Date:
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Location:
Waterfront City Commons
(Downtown Palm Beach)
101 South Flagler Dr,
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Time:
Registration - 7:00 AM
Walk - 8:30 AM
Contact Information:
Walk MS: South Florida Chapter
855-372-1331
FundraisingSupport@nmss.org
I, Jim Sweet was Dx with MS in 2014 and since then, my wife Yvonne Sweet and I have committed ourselves to raise awareness of MS and funds for MS research. We've formed a team for Walk MS because we want to experience a great event and help the National MS Society fund research, advocate for change, and help people with MS live their best lives. We believe in this cause. Can we count on your support?
Millions of people are affected by MS and the challenges of living with its unpredictable symptoms. Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, a disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS.