Ups & Downs of MS

Having MS is like travelling through mountains and valleys. There are many ups and downs.

The downs are called attacks. That's when new symptoms appear or when the MS symptoms get worse.

The ups are called remissions (re-MISH-ons). That's when the person with MS feels better and the symptoms disappear or are not as bad. With MS, some remissions last for weeks, months or even years. Some people don't have remissions or big attacks - symptoms happen more often little by little over the years.

How MS can develop…

You can never tell what MS will do. It's like having a blindfold over your eyes. There is no way of knowing ahead of time if there will be an attack or a remission. So it's very important to live day by day and really try to appreciate the good times.

And above all, it's important not to give up hope because now there are medicines that can help some people with MS have less attacks. It can also make the attacks they do have not be so bad.