Listen to “MS Awareness Month in March NEW OPTION FOR MANAGING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS” on Spreaker.
A Chronic Disease of the Central Nervous System
March is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month, a key moment in time to raise awareness of the disease, educate the public and support those living with MS by sharing their stories.
MS is a chronic and disabling disease of the central nervous system (CNS)1 impacting nearly one million people in the U.S., with varying forms including primary progressive, secondary progressive and relapsing-remitting MS, among others. The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves and controls everything we do. MS causes progressive and irreparable damage to the CNS, disrupting the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.
A person’s experience with MS can change from day to day and year to year. MS can also affect different areas of the body as symptoms depend on where damage is occurring at any specific time.2 Specific symptoms may include3:
· Fatigue
· Difficulty walking
· Vision difficulties
· Memory difficulties
· Numbness
· Pain
· Tingling, and many more unseen symptoms
Over 60 million Americans, about one-fifth of the U.S. population, live in areas where access to healthcare, including IV administration, is often limited. This particularly poses challenges for people with chronic diseases like MS.
Roger was diagnosed with MS when he was 36, and experienced symptoms including migraines, vision loss and leg pain.
However, he has been able to manage his MS thanks in part to a newly approved treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The treatment is the first and only twice-a-year, 10-minute subcutaneous injection for certain types of MS and provides a new and much needed option for people living with the disease, particularly those who need flexibility in the route of administration or treatment time.
Dr. Robert Shin, Director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Clinical Neuroimmunology Division at UVA Health, is available to discuss the importance of this treatment for MS and will explain how it provides additional choice and flexibility for both healthcare providers and people living with the disease. Roger will also be joining Dr. Shin to talk about his experience with MS and how this treatment option has helped him manage his disease.
Interview is courtesy of Genentech
#ms #managingms #multiplesclerosis #msawarenessmonth #msawareness
