Advancements in medicine today have allowed for treatment of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases before any damage has been done to the body’s ability to function. File photograph used for representational purposes only
India struggles with a high prevalence of autoimmune diseases that eventually lead to chronic illnesses in approximately 5% to 8% of the country’s total population. Among these, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an illness identified by chronic autoimmune activity where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the central nervous system’s protective nerve fibres and their surrounding myelin sheath.
Due to intermittent relapses coupled with vague presentations, MS has a high risk of being misdiagnosed, especially at its early stage. Early symptoms such as difficulty in walking, numbness in limbs or blurry vision in one eye, are often attributed to either stress or vitamin deficiency, delaying diagnosis. Diagnosis and management of MS rely heavily on the timely recognition of the patient’s current symptoms. Even mild relapses of MS can cause irreversible nerve damage. If diagnosis and treatment are delayed, the disease can silently progress, which compromises long-term neurological health.