Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that generally strikes people between the ages of 20 and 40.
Symptoms can range from numbness in the limbs to paralysis or loss of vision.
The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatments are giving hope to those affected by the disease. NMSS provides programs and services that make life better for the third of a million Americans with multiple sclerosis and their families and friends. The Greater Illinois Chapter supports a wide array of local programs and services for people with MS and their families designed to inform and empower people to maximize their health and independence. In MS, there is a breakdown in the myelin sheathing. When any part of this myelin sheathing is destroyed, nerve impulses to and from the brain are distorted or interrupted.