Poll finds four out of ten people cannot name one symptom of multiple sclerosis

Published on Monday 20 April 2009 19:59

The poll, carried out for the MS Society revealed that four out of ten respondents were unaware of the problems created by the condition. They include a loss of sight and mobility, fatigue, numbness, bowel and bladder problems, muscle stiffness and spasms.

Some people thought that MS led to brittle bones, bad teeth, a build up of phlegm and a loss of appetite.

According to the research, few people are aware that MS mostly strikes people in their twenties and thirties. Just one quarter of respondent were aware that people aged 25 to 34 were most likely to be diagnosed.

The poll, of more than 2,000 people, also found that 6 per cent attributed the development of MS to "public health issues" such as obesity, poor diet, smoking or germs.

Meanwhile, four out of ten (40 per cent) thought all people who contracted MS ended up in a wheelchair, contrasting with the actual figure of 20 per cent.

Commenting on the findings, MS Society chief executive, Simon Gillespie said: "This survey gives us the clearest picture yet of what people know – or don't know – about MS, and the results are a cause for concern."

The survey was released ahead of MS Week which runs throughout next week and this year aims to tackle the misconceptions that surround the condition."

Highlighting the issue, GMTV presenter Lorraine Kelly added: "As I have a relative with MS, I know from personal experience that there are myths and misconceptions which make life even tougher for people living with the condition.

"I would urge everyone to make an effort to find out what MS really means to those who have to live with it day in and day out."

More than 85,000 people in the UK have multiple sclerosis, a disease that results in damage to the myelin protective sheath that surrounds the nerve endings in the central nervous system. This causes interference to the messages sent to the brain from other parts of the body.

Scotland has more incidences of the disease per capita than anywhere else in the world with about one in 500 people (10,500) estimated to have it.

Also speaking ahead of MS Week was former Manchester United star Danny Wallace, now 45, who developed symptoms of MS in his twenties.

He found that he became unable to bounce back from sporting injuries and was spending an increasing amount of time in treatment rooms.

"I take regular medication, which helps, but walking is a problem," he said.

"I have been out with friends in a social situation and people have presumed I was drunk. I might have had a few drinks but I certainly wasn't drunk.

"It made me feel disappointed in people – that they could just presume that that's the case, but I suppose they weren't to know."