May 30 marks World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day and research shows that Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis diagnosis globally.
According to the MS Society of Canada, more than 90,000 Canadians live with the chronic disease.
The society says the diagnosis attacks a person’s nervous system nerve fibres, which can cause difficulty moving.
In a 2018 study by the Public Health Agency of Canada, patients also report vision problems, weakness or clumsiness, numbness, fatigue, mood swings and pain.
“MS is unpredictable, often occurring in a pattern of relapses and remissions,” reads the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website.
“There is currently no cure for MS, but treatments are available to decrease the frequency and severity of relapses and to ease MS symptoms.”
The MS Society says women are three times more likely to receive a diagnosis than men, with the average age of diagnosis being 43 years.
There are 2.8 million people around the world who live with MS.
