Multiple Sclerosis is a confusing disease which generally attacks women. “The disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak, or move,” said Dr. Yousef Al-Sayd, Acting Chairman of the Department of Neurology at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center here. “And no one knows the causes behind this disease,” added Al-Sayed. He was speaking at a seminar on the causes and effects of the disease here at the weekend. Al-Sayed noted that the syndrome has now been labeled as ‘Modern Disease' since it is quite new in medical annals. It is a nervous system disease that affects the brain and spinal cord and damages the area surrounding nerve cells. “This damage slows down or blocks messages between the brain and the body, leading to the symptoms of MS,” he added. “The good point of this open day is that the patient can be made aware of the nature of this disease and its treatment,” said Dr. Omar Wazzan, a Neurology Consultant at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. Al-Sayed noted that MS attacks women more than men and begins with the age of 20. Statistics say around five million people worldwide suffer from MS. “It has appeared in America, Canada, and northern Europe. But it is alarming that the disease cases are slowly appearing in the Kingdom,” he said. The disease normally appears in cold areas, according to researchers. “It is intriguing to find the disease cases here in Saudi Arabia which has a hot climate,” Dr. Wazzan said. Hanaa Abdullah, a Saudi secondary schoolgirl, did not feel shy to discuss her case. “A couple of years ago I started getting fits. These fits have resulted in this disease,” she said. However, Hanaa claimed that she was living a very usual life. “The fits are rare. But when the fits appear, sometimes I can't walk for a few minutes. __
