Health A-Z

Most of the nerves in your body are covered with a protective layer called myelin. It’s a lot like the insulation on electric wires. It helps messages from your brain move quickly and smoothly through your body, the way electricity flows from a power source.

Demyelinating disorders are any conditions that damage myelin. When this happens, scar tissue forms in its place. Brain signals can’t move across scar tissue as quickly, so your nerves don’t work as well as they should.

Symptoms: The most common symptoms of demyelinating disorders are:

• Vision loss
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle stiffness
• Muscle spasms
• Changes in how well your bladder and bowels work
• Sensory changes

Causes: In many cases, doctors aren’t sure what causes these conditions. They know that some result from:

• A virus
• Inflammation from an immune response that goes awry and causes your body to attack its own tissues; you may hear this called an autoimmune condition.
• Your genes
• Damage to blood vessels in your brain
• Lack of oxygen to the brain

Treatment: There’s no cure for these conditions, so early treatment is important. Your doctor will work with you to:

• Lessen the effects of the attack
• Control the disease course
• Manage your symptomsMedications can ease your pain, fatigue, and stiff muscles. Physical therapy can help with muscles that don’t work the way they used to.