US actor Selma Blair is battling to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) after walking the Oscars red carpet with the aid of a cane in her first major public appearance since revealing she has the chronic illness.
After going public with the diagnosis in October, the 46-year-old star described how she had suffered mysterious symptoms for years and had cried tears of “relief” when doctors were finally able to pinpoint the cause.
Speaking at the Vanity Fair Oscars party, Blair told the magazine: “If I can help anyone be more comfortable in their skin, it’s more than I’ve ever done before.”
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But what is MS and how does it affect the body?
What is MS?
MS is a lifelong, incurable medical condition that can affect the brain, spinal cord and the optic nerves in the eyes.
The disease begins when a person’s immune system attacks the coverings of nerve fibers throughout the body. These protective nerve sheaths are called myelin and “assist with the communication of nerves”, reports CNN.
“When myelin is destroyed, it exposes the nerves, slowing communication between these cells,” the news site says. “The signs and symptoms are related to how much damage has been done.”
Some MS sufferers experience severe disability, leaving them unable to walk or see, while others may exhibit milder symptoms.
The cause of MS is not currently known, but medical professionals have noted a number of factors that appear to make the disease more likely, including certain genetic factors and lifestyle choices such as smoking.
WebMD says that some people “may get MS after they’ve had a viral infection - like the Epstein-Barr virus or the human herpesvirus 6 - that makes their immune system stop working normally”.
What are the symptoms?
The NHS website reports that MS “starts in one of two general ways: with individual relapses (attacks or exacerbations) or with gradual progression”. Around eight out of every ten people diagnosed with the condition experience the former.
MS can cause a wide range of potential symptoms, many of which are highly unpredictable and vary in intensity. At the mild end, problems can include minor issues with vision or movement, and sufferers may experience fatigue and numbness.
Muscle stiffness or spasms are also common, the site adds, noting that sufferers “might experience stiff muscles or joints as well as uncontrollable, painful jerking movements of the extremities”.
Severe cases of MS can cause paralysis, vision loss and diminished brain function, Healthline says.
MS itself is rarely fatal, but complications may arise from severe MS, such as chest or bladder infections, or swallowing difficulties.
How many people suffer from MS?
The US-based National Multiple Sclerosis Society reports that the disease is thought to affect more than 2.3 million people worldwide.
In the UK alone, approximately 100,000 people have MS, with around 5,000 people newly diagnosed each year. That means around one in every 600 people in the UK has the condition.
How is it treated?
There is no cure but treatment is available to improve MS patients’ quality of life.
These include steroid medication, specific treatments for individual MS symptoms, and treatment to reduce the number of relapses.
Doctors can also use medicines known as disease-modifying therapies that slow or reduce the overall worsening of disability in people with MS characterised by individual relapses, the NHS adds.
There is currently no treatment that can slow the progress of primary progressive MS or secondary progressive MS in the absence of relapses.
However, therapies to treat progressive MS are being researched.
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