ABOUT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Sclerosis multiplex or multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory and potential neurodegenerative condition that shortcircuits the neurons, making some bodily functions work harder or not at all.

Let's think of it this way: you own a well-furnished house. It has many rooms, many utilities and appliances. It is beautifully lit and all the gadgets are working to please your daily needs. 

This whole system is managed through a main computer that takes care of all the operations. 

One day, a wire malfunctions. You search for the problem and you find Zeus, your faithfull watchdog nibbling on the cable. Getting mad is of little importance as the pup was only protecting your home at that point. He saw something wrong and menacing on that wire. This time you forgive him and all goes back to normal. 

But days go by and more and more wires are getting chewed up. Your perfect home, your fine-tuned system is slowly crashing. You get mad. 

You yell, crash and burn and slowly become desperate because you can't control what's happening. You need Zeus. He's going after all the outside dangers. The problem is that he sees danger inside. He attacks what he's trained to protect. So here is where the re-training steps in.


The house is your brain and the wires your neurons. The fine-tuned system is your fully-operational body. Zeus is your immune system. 


At one point something happens and your immunity turns against your cells. When it aims to destroy the brain cells, we call it multiple sclerosis, or MS. From the minute your immune system begins to attack, you need to retrain it. You need to calm it down and help it recognise your body again.

MS can become progressive and thus potentially get worse as time goes by. It usually starts with an inflammatory stage (mostly the relapsing forms), and if not taken care of, it might progress into the neurodegenerative one, where brain cells die. There are four known types, each with its own particularities. The main goal is to reduce inflammation as much as one can. 

We do that by beginning an immunomodulator or immunosupressant treatment. Long words, right? They stand for the reprogramming of your immune cells. It kind of disciplines them (for the first term) or knocks them out (the second term). They manage the disease progression. There are 10 treatment options nowadays, plenty of training schools for your Zeus. You need to prepare. Who ever went to war barehanded?

If you suspect something is wrong with you, if you think you have your own Zeus, go see a neurologist. Make an appointment and go talk about your issues. It might be nothing, but you have to be sure. 

If it is MS, don't despair. Every person has it differently. Each individual has his or her own symptoms and development. Like snowflakes. Relax, Zeus likes snowflakes. Get into treatment and make a healthy lifestyle change.

Protect your home. Protect your brain. Get a regullar check-up!


Sincerely, 
SMart Choice Team


P.S.: Join SMart Choice on Facebook and Twitter! Let's talk about a healthier lifestyle with or without MS.

Niciun comentariu:

Trimiteți un comentariu