Department of Neurology at King Abdulaziz Medical City - Jeddah organized a Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Day, which was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel - Jeddah to educate patients and their families about multiple sclerosis (MS), and to assist them to cope with it as well as to prepare patients families on how to deal with this disease.
Multiple Sclerosis disease has become a common disease and many drugs and medications have been found to control its symptoms and to stop its progress. Scientists are incessantly working to create new medicine not only to treat MS but to cure it as well.
MS is a chronic infection that affects the myelin membrane in the central nervous system composed of the brain, cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord. Its symptoms represent in many ways and affect different parts of the body such as muscle tension, fatigue, exhaustion, lack of balance, movement and sensation disability as well as, involuntary urination.
The awareness day program included the definition of MS, its symptoms, diagnosis, and its psychological aspects with the participation of an elite group of neurologists and neuro specialists.
This disease is spreading globally in addition to the recent increasing numbers of cases in Saudi Arabia. According to statistics, 50-70 of 100.000 people get MS every year, it affects women more than men, and the age range is between 15 to 45 years old. Moreover, MS has no main cause but it’s more likely due to genetics or an unknown environmental factor, however, first degree relatives with MS have a higher possibility of infection.
Hospitals around the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offer a variety of specialized and advanced procedures to accurately diagnose MS such as MRI, spinal taps or lumbar punctures (examination of the cerebrospinal fluid that runs through the spinal column) as well as the availability of many medications and therapies for treating the symptoms and preventing the occurrence of new episodes, through drugs and certain injections. The doctor may advise to take some medications to help in reducing the symptoms.