Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the brain and spinal cord. This potentially deliberate disease attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers the nerves causing problems by interfering with communication between the brain, spinal cord and other areas of the body. It can cause various symptoms that initially come and go for several years. However, as time passes, some symptoms can become permanent and cause disability. There is no cure for MS, but various medications and therapies can reduce the number of flare-ups and help relieve symptoms and the extent of disability. There are many thousands of nerve fibers that transmit electrical impulses between different parts of the brain and spinal cord. Each nerve fiber is surrounded by a protective sheath substance known as myelin. This myelin sheath insulates much like the covering of an electrical wire and is necessary for the electrical impulse to travel properly along the nerve fiber. These nerve fibers travel from the brain and spinal cord carrying messages to and from the muscles, skin, organs and tissues of the body. MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease because when the disease is in an active state, parts of the immune system, particularly T cells attack the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord causing inflammation. Normally the immune system would attack bacteria, viruses and so on, but instead it attacks body parts. There is no known cause for the immune system to act this way, but it is hypothesized that the result is a viral or environmental factor that triggers it, especially those with a certain genetic makeup. When there is inflammation surrounding the myelin sheath, it stops the nerve fibers from working p...... middle of paper ......ited"Diseases and Conditions of Multiple Sclerosis." MayoClinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, December 15, 2012. Web. May 5, 2014. “Diet and Exercise for MS: Active Source for MS.” MS ActiveSource: a place all about multiple sclerosis. Biogen Idec., nd Web. May 8, 2014."MS Statistics | Multiple Sclerosis News." Information on multiple sclerosis. Np, nd Web. May 11, 2014."Multiple sclerosis: MS researchers believe brain and cognitive reserves protect against long-term cognitive decline." NewsRx Health (2014): 54. ProQuest. Network. 8 May 2014."Multiple sclerosis - National Library of Medicine." PubMed Health. ADAM, Inc., September 25, 2013. Web. May 8, 2014. “What is Multiple Sclerosis?” National Multiple Sclerosis Society. NMSS and Web. 8 May 2014.