Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Common MS Perceptions

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MYTH	FACT
MS is fatal	MS is a life-long condition but not a terminal illness. Healthcare breakthroughs and lifestyle changes mean that many people with MS can have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.
Work is harmful for MS patients	Work in itself is not harmful in MS. If the disease is appropriately controlled patients can continue to work and will continue to be productive. Most subjects with MS continue to work and are productive despite the diagnosis.
MS leads to severe disability	Many people with MS are able to walk without any help and most people don't need to use a wheelchair on a regular basis. Effective treatment limits the amount of disability in MS.
People with MS will pass it onto their children	The condition is not directly inherited, and most MS patients will not have children with MS. Children of MS patients are estimated to have a 2 percent risk of developing MS, compared to a risk of around 0.1 percent among the general population.
Diet can cure MS	There is no special diet to treat MS. People with MS should eat a healthy diet just like anyone else, meaning one that is low in salt, sugar and processed foods and high in fruit, vegetables, and lean proteins.
People with MS shouldn't exercise	Some symptoms of the disease can make exercise more challenging; however, moderate exercise is recommended to maintain health and reduce the risk of developing lifestyle-related conditions like heart disease.
MS is the same as muscular dystrophy	Muscular Dystrophy is a disease of the skeletal muscles which control the body's movement, whereas MS damages the Central Nervous System, which controls muscles.

MS is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, which disrupts the flow of information within the brain and spinal cord.

MS has become a treatable disease and although there is currently no cure for MS, medications can prevent the accumulation of lesions and disability. MS affects an estimated 2.3 million people globally, yet there are still a number of common misperceptions about the condition.