The life-long condition affects the brain and spinal cord, and is caused when the immune system causes nerve fibres to become exposed.
According to the NHS, there are approximately 100,000 people diagnosed with it in the UK.
It usually affects people from their 20s and 30s, but can develop at any age in men and women – although it’s two to three times more common in the latter.
Symptoms include fatigue, vision problems, pain, bowel problems, abnormal sensations such as numbness or tinging, and muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness.
Additionally, it can cause mobility problems making walking and moving around difficult.
In some cases it can lead to paralysis, usually of the legs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
There is currently no cure for MS, but it’s possible to treat some symptoms.
However, a new report has revealed that many MS sufferers experience delays in accessing treatment that could slow its progress.
According to research by Sanofi Genzyme UK, one in four were not even aware there was such treatment to delay onset of disability.
Known as disease modifying treatments (DMT), they can reduce the rate of relapses – or ‘attacks’.
In the UK, only 21 per cent of people with MS receive a DMT – one of the lowest rates in Europe.
Emma Matthews, MS Nurse Specialist at Northampton General Hospital, said: “It is essential that treatments are considered in a timely manner to increase the likelihood of preventing long-term disability and ultimately to decrease the chance of MS impacting day-to-day quality of life.
“The UK MS community needs to create the right infrastructure to allow for earlier and effective conversations about treatment and disability.”
Healthcare professionals believe the lack of access to neurologists who specialise in MS is the main reason for the delay in DMTs being initiated.
According to the NHS, treatment for MS will depend on the specific symptoms and disabilities the person has.
This may include using steroid medication for a relapse, or seeing a physiotherapist to help with stresses and strains on the body’s muscles and joints that the condition causes.
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