Neurologist Oliver Tobin, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., Ph.D., answers the most frequently asked questions about multiple sclerosis. So people who are overweight have a higher chance of developing MS and people who have MS who are overweight tend to have more active disease and a faster onset of progression. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition that affects your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). Policy. With MS, your immune system mistakenly attacks myelin cells. These are the protective covers (sheaths) that surround your brain and spinal cord nerves. MS symptoms usually begin in young adults, between ages 20 and 40. MS affects people differently. A small number of people with MS will have mild symptoms with little disability, but others will experience worsening symptoms that will lead to increased disability over time. Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a complex disease that affects countless individuals around the world. Learn what causes MS, the different types of MS, and more. Like many diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS) affects everyone differently, bringing symptoms that can range from mild to severe. This autoimmune condition affects your central nervous system, causing issues like muscle weakness, vision changes, numbness and memory issues. Multiple sclerosis is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerve cells in the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord, called the myelin sheath. And this sheath is often compared to the insulation on an electrical wire. Early signs of MS may be hard to spot, but they could mean trouble ahead. Learn what these early signs are and when you should seek medical attention. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to have their first symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40. Early on, the symptoms get better, but then they come back. This is called relapsing-remitting. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the insulating cover of nerve cells, causing damage to the central nervous system. This impairs the nervous system's ability to transmit signals. Symptoms can be physical and mental, [1][2] including double vision, vision loss, eye pain, muscle weakness, and loss of coordination. [2] While its cause is. MS is a chronic, or long-lasting, disease that can affect your brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves in your eyes. It can cause problems with vision, balance, muscle control, and other basic.