What Is an Autoimmune Disease?
4. Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a potentially devastating disease that can affect peoples’ ability to care for themselves. It attacks a protective coating known as the myelin sheath, which usually helps protect our nerve cells. If this sheath is damaged then messages would not be able to pass through the nerves as well as they otherwise would do.
This, in turn, means that the patient will experience difficulties controlling their muscles. Symptoms that occur include a loss of balance, weakness, numbness, and difficulty walking. The disease is not usually fatal, but it can mean that the patient becomes completely dependent on other people.
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