Today I want to tell you an important piece of news: "Spain has 1800 new cases of Multiple Sclerosis every year but many patients can lead a normal life”.
The Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease, that affects 47,000 people, in Spain, and annually, according to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), 1,800 new cases are detected, at an average of 4.9 per day, of which 70 % are people between 20 and 40 years old.
According to this scientific society, on the occasion of the National Multiple Sclerosis Day, that was celebrated the last Monday, December 18, the number of patients has doubled, in the last two decades, both due to an improvement in the knowledge of the disease and in the diagnostic techniques, as for environmental and lifestyle factors, that seem to favor its appearance, such as smoking, vitamin D deficiency, exposure to sunlight and diet change.
"We still can not determine what causes this disease, but it is clear that the latest research points to a concurrence of both genetic and environmental factors (among others) by which the defensive system of the body of certain people ends up producing the disease ", emphasised Ester Moral, coordinator of the Study Group of Demyelinating Diseases of the SEN.
Ester Moral
However, the fact that it is associated with factors dependent on lifestyle makes the patient able, among other things, to influence with its habits in its prognosis, for example by quitting smoking, carrying out a low salt diet.
On the other hand, despite this increase in greater knowledge of the disease, its diagnosis can be complex given its heterogeneity. Not only of symptoms and evolution, but also of prognosis or response to treatments.
"Its correct diagnosis requires the realization of a good clinical history, a detailed physical examination and the use of complementary explorations, mainly magnetic resonance, which allows a relatively early diagnosis, in a large number of cases", explained this expert.
In fact, the average delay in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis is between one and two years, something in which we must continue to improve, since the early and adequate use of available therapeutic resources is an essential factor to improve the prognosis of patients.
The average age of onset of symptoms is around 28 years and the ratio of affected women / men is approximately three to one. Any symptom attributable to a lesion of the central nervous system can be a symptom of multiple sclerosis, although some symptoms and syndromes are more frequent.
Thus, sensory and visual symptoms, such as tingling or numbness of one or more limbs, or loss of visual acuity, are the most frequent symptoms of this disease, especially in its initial phase, as they are present in the 50-53 % of the cases.
However, when the disease is advanc ed or progressive, motor symptoms tend to be more common, which are mainly manifested as weakness, especially in the legs and / or muscular stiffness, in 40-45% of cases.
In spite of everything, Moral has recognized that thanks to the appearance of new drugs, able to modify the course of the disease, together with the use of other therapeutic measures not only pharmacological (also rehabilitating or surgical), its prognosis has undergone a "radical change" and that "many patients can lead a normal life with the disease ".
In fact, there is a large number of patients, who have lived with the disease for more than 15 years and who still do not have a significant disability, says this representative of the SEN.
Well, I hope that the scientists can continue searching some new therapies, to end with the Multiple Sclerosis.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
Sponsored by Costaluz Lawyers.
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