Multiple sclerosis

5 autoimmune diseases affecting Canadians

Approximately two million Canadians are affected by autoimmune diseases. Find out more about these diseases and know whether or not you're at risk

By Jaclyn Law

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Multiple sclerosis

Most often diagnosed in young adults (ages 15 to 40), multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, unpredictable and progressive neurological condition. It develops when the immune system attacks the nervous system, causing inflammation and damaging the myelin sheath that protects and envelops nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord or optic nerve. 

Over time, MS can affect a person’s hearing, vision, balance, mobility, speech and memory, and cause problems such as fatigue, muscle spasms, numbness, tremors, and bowel and bladder symptoms. People with MS experience attacks that can last from days to months, alternating with periods of remission (little or no disease activity).