ms is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. essentially, the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibres, which can cause permanent damage to the nerves. the condition also prevents clear communication between the brain and the rest of the body.symptoms vary widely from patient to patient, and ms can present very differently in different people. some of the most common symptoms include fatigue, vision problems, difficulty walking, tremors and slurred speech.ms flare-ups, when symptoms are severe, can vary a huge amount in length — sometimes they last months, sometimes just days.and the disease itself also evolves frequently,
according to healthline. the most common type at the onset of the disease is rrms, a cycle of relapse and remission. primary progressive ms (ppms) involves short periods of stability, and secondary progressive ms (spms) is when rrms transitions into progressive ms.experts still don’t know what causes ms. there is no cure, but there are treatments that can help manage symptoms. corticosteroids are sometimes prescribed to reduce nerve inflammation, and if that doesn’t work, doctors may attempt a plasma exchange, where the liquid part of the blood is separated from blood cells and mixed with a protein solution before being put back in the body. injections and oral medications are sometimes prescribed to help slow the disease’s progression.this isn’t applegate’s first scary diagnosis. in 2008, at only 36, the actress was diagnosed with
breast cancer. she had been getting regular mammograms since age 30,
she told cnn at the time, because she knew she was at risk given that her mother was a
breast cancer survivor. but her doctor said mammograms wouldn’t be adequate indicators, because of
the denseness of her breasts, and suggested she get an mri.that mri “
saved my life,” she said: if she hadn’t gotten it, “they probably would have found the cancer on my next mammogram a year later, where it would have been a much bigger tumour, and could have been a much worse scenario.” she also found out she was positive for the
brca1 gene mutation, which puts her at increased risk of developing several kinds of cancer, especially breast and ovarian cancers.she got a double mastectomy, which she said was an easy decision for her to make, although she struggled with the aftermath.“it can be very painful,” she told cnn. “it’s also a part of you that’s gone, so you go through a grieving process and a mourning process.”
in 2017, she said she also
had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure due to the brca1 gene. “my cousin passed away from ovarian cancer in 2008. i could prevent that,”
she told today.on twitter on tuesday, applegate said she’s met other people diagnosed with ms. one of them told her “we wake up and take the indicated action,” and that’s what she’s doing, she said. she asked for privacy as she navigates her new diagnosis.
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