MS - Some Facts

MS is a non contagious disease of the Central Nervous System. It causes damage to myelin, which protects all of our nerve fibres. This causes disruption of the "messages" to and from the brain. It is this disruption which causes the symptoms of MS.

• An estimated 100,000 people have MS in the UK, that's one person in every 610
• Speech difficulties of some kind affect between 40 and 50 per cent of people with multiple sclerosis
• Speakeasier estimates that over 1% of the MS population will require a communication aid at some time
• 2,500 people are diagnosed in the UK every year
• MS affects more women than men at a ratio of 2:1
• MS is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 45. MS strikes in the prime of life
• The cause of MS is unknown
• There is, as yet, no known cure for MS

Sources: MS Society (Updated 2010)