Facts to Know

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1. Nearly 200 people in the United States are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) every week. There are 400,000 Americans with MS, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

2. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. MS is rarely diagnosed in people younger than 12 years of age or over 55 years of age.

3. Three times as many women as men develop MS.

4. The severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.

5. Symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary greatly from person to person.

6. MS is not contagious or fatal. While quality of life is often changed for those diagnosed with MS, the disease does not significantly affect length of life.

7. Although there are no drugs to cure MS, treatments are available that can alter the course of the disease. Many symptoms can be treated and managed successfully.

8. Multiple sclerosis is Greek for "many scars," which aptly describes the manner in which the disease manifests itself—as scars or plaques on the brain.

9. Myelin is a substance made of fat and protein that helps speed messages through the central nervous system. Demyelination is the destruction of that substance. When myelin is destroyed, the messages from the brain to the rest of the body are either slowed or destroyed. This results in impaired function and the symptoms of MS.

10. Genetics play a role in the development of MS, but the disease is not directly inherited. In other words, you have an increased chance of developing MS if a relative has the disease.