Myths about MS
There are over 85 000 people in the UK with MS, a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. People affected by MS not only have to live with the disease, but they have to contend with several myths connected to it. Here are a few of them:
1. You can die from MS
Most people with MS will live just as long as anybody else. People don't die from MS itself. Sometimes people who are very badly affected get more infections, or pick up other illnesses more easily than healthy people, and they can die from these. MS does not kill.
2. Once diagnosed you have to give up work
MS is different for everyone. Individuals will experience different symptoms at different times and the impact of the symptoms on working life will very much depend on the type of work, and personal experience of MS. On receiving an MS diagnosis, family, friends and even health care professionals might advise that you stop working. This could be because they don't understand the nature of MS or because they want to protect you from stress. However many people with MS never experience symptoms severe enough to stop them working. People who make big changes or leave the workforce after diagnosis or the first major relapse may regret doing so.
3. You will end up in a wheelchair
For the vast majority of people with MS, this will not be the case. Rapid progression is rare and most people with MS will never need to use a wheelchair on a regular basis.
If you do need equipment to help you, there is more information in the Living with MS pages
4. You will have to reduce your physical activity
Moderate exercise is now recognised as an important element in maintaining general health and well being. However a survey by the MS Trust in 2004 found that almost half (48%) of people with MS do not exercise on a regular basis. The symptoms of MS may make some activities difficult or require a different approach, but there are organisations which offer information on all manner of activities from competitive sports to more leisurely pursuits.
5. You shouldn't have children
A woman with MS is less likely to have a relapse during pregnancy, although the risk of relapse increases in the six months after the birth. However, pregnancy has no long-term effect on the course of MS and you are no more likely to experience miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects or infant death than a woman who does not have MS.
MS is not inherited in the way that eye colour is passed down genetically, although family members do have a slightly increased risk of developing MS. That risk is still small.
