What is MS?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic neurological condition in young Australian adults.
There is no known cause or cure.
Over 21,000 people in Australia have MS and most people are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s. MS affects three times as many women as men.
MS is the result of damage to myelin - a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system. When myelin is damaged this interferes with messages between the brain and other parts of the body.
The symptoms of MS are different for each person. Sometimes they even vary within the same person.
For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern. For everyone, it makes life unpredictable.
Move your mouse over the figure below to see how MS can affect the body.