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Key facts about MS

  • More than 100,000 people in the UK have multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • More women then men are diagnosed with MS
  • Multiple sclerosis is not inherited, but family members do have a slightly higher risk of developing MS (more information on the risk of developing MS)
  • It is usually diagnosed when people are in their 20s and 30s
  • MS is a disease affecting the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord)
  • Symptoms can come and go and can vary greatly in terms of severity
  • There may be periods of relapse of varying length and severity
  • Everyone's MS is different
  • MS is not a fatal condition
  • It is neither infectious nor contagious
  • Most people diagnosed with MS will not need to use a wheelchair on a regular basis
  • At present, there is no cure for MS but this certainly doesn't mean that the symptoms of MS cannot be treated
Dispel the myths about multiple sclerosis