Almost 20 thousand Mexicans suffer from multiple sclerosis

Fernanda Bermúdez Andrade

had her first multiple sclerosis attacks 16 years ago . It had completely paralyzed her left arm when her doctor diagnosed it as a muscle strain . The symptoms passed, but more attacks followed soon after, until two years later, she went to a neurologist and was properly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“Don’t waste your time on miracle products and don’t stop injecting your medication once you’ve been diagnosed, this is very important to maintain your quality of life,” Bermúdez said at a press conference.

Within the framework of the International Multiple Sclerosis Day , which is commemorated on the last Wednesday of the month of May , Carlos Pla Casamitjana , Neuroscience medical director of Roche, Mexico , explained that multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease which affects communication between the brain and the rest of the body .

Women are more affected

than men, and the illness usually presents itself in adulthood, between 20 and 40 years of age .

Approximately 20 thousand people in Mexico live with this disease, and most patients can take between 8 and 10 years to be properly diagnosed .

There are several subtypes of the disease. Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is the most common, and 85% of patients start with this condition. Another subtype is secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) , and a third one is primary progressive sclerosis (PPMS) , which affects 10% to 15% of patients.

A timely diagnosis is very important for the patients to receive proper treatment so that they may improve their quality of life and increase their lifespan.

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