MS is an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system attacks its own tissue thinking it’s a foreign body. In the case of MS, the immune system attacks myelin in the brain and spinal cord therefore sending incorrect messages from your brain. Initially, symptoms commonly occur as separate “attacks” or relapses, each lasting a few weeks and resolving, not always completely spontaneously.

Symptoms vary greatly in terms of severity as everyone is different but those with MS may experience:

• fatigue
• anxiety and depression
• loss of bladder and bowel control
• issues surrounding cognition, concentration and memory
• sensory impairment including heat sensitivity, pain and pins and needles
• motoneurone issues including dropped foot, muscle weakness, tremor, spasms and spasticity
• loss of vision including blurred and double vision
• problems surrounding speech and swallowing
• a lack of balance, dizziness, vertigo, visual problems and poor visuo-spatial perception
• a variety of sexual issues