Reply to your peers post in 100-150 words and include one reference with the past 5 years.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition where the immune system chooses to attack the protective myelin sheaths of neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The function of the myelin is to facilitate the conduction of nerve impulses along the axon of the neuron, so when it is damaged, there is an interruption in the conduction of nerve impulses. It is a chronic condition that is characterized by progressive motor weakness, impaired sensory functions, cognitive impairment, loss of bladder control, and vision loss to name a few (Marcus, 2022). While the exact causes of Multiple Sclerosis are still being studied, research has shown that genetics, smoking tobacco, lack of vitamin D, and exposure to Epstein-Barr Virus can increase the chances of developing MS (Haki et al., 2024). This is no surprise since healthy lifestyle habits such as natural intake of vitamins and minerals through a healthy, balanced diet as well as regular exercise have proven to improve quality of life as we age.

Living with MS on the Central Coast is a local organization near me in Santa Barbara that offers events free to attend to connect with others who have MS, resources for a variety of aid such as management of symptoms, and the latest research on Multiple Sclerosis (CalCoast MS, 2025). This is heartwarming as a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis can be devastating for anyone, no matter their age.

References

CalCoast MS - Home. (2025). Calcoastms.org. https://calcoastms.org

Haki, M., Al-Biati, H. A., Al-Tameemi, Z. S., Ali, I. S., & Al-Hussaniy, H. A. (2024). Review of multiple sclerosis: Epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment.Medicine,103(8), e37297.

Marcus, R. (2022). What is multiple sclerosis?.Jama,328(20), 2078-2078.