TRUE OR FALSE

It’s MS Awareness Week from 25 April to 1 May this year – but how much do you know about multiple sclerosis? Test your knowledge with our true or false quiz.

1 MS affects your brain

☐ True ☐ False

2 It’s a lifelong condition

☐ True ☐ False

3 It’s more common in men than women

☐ True ☐ False

4 The cause is unknown

☐ True ☐ False

5 The symptoms can’t be treated

☐ True ☐ False

1. TRUE MS is a neurological condition that affects your brain and spinal cord. In people with MS, the coating that protects their nerves (myelin) is damaged. This is what causes their symptoms, including problems with how they move, think and feel.

2. TRUE MS is a lifelong condition, which can cause serious disability, although occasionally it can be mild. Average life expectancy for people with MS is slightly reduced, and unfortunately it can’t be cured.

3. FALSE MS is around two to three times more common in women that it is in men – the reason for this is unclear though. It’s one of the most common causes of disability in younger adults, with a lot of people diagnosed in their 20s and 30s – although it can develop at any age.

4. TRUE Exactly why someone develops MS isn’t known, but research suggests it’s a result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. MS is an autoimmune condition, where your immune system attacks a part of your body it mistakes for a foreign object – in this case, the myelin sheath in the brain and spinal cord. It’s not clear why this happens, but some of the factors suggested as possible causes include genes, lack of sunlight and vitamin D, smoking, teenage obesity and viral infections.

5. FALSE It is possible to treat the symptoms of MS, and this will vary depending on an individual’s specific symptoms and difficulties. If you are diagnosed with MS, you will be supported by a team of healthcare professionals, often including a neurologist, a physiotherapist, a speech and language therapist and a specialist MS nurse.