In honor of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week held March 3-9, here are some facts:

– More than 400,000 people in the US have MS

– About 2,500,000 people have MS worldwide

– Diagnosis of MS usually happens between the ages of 20-40

– MS affects women more than men with a ration of 2:1

– MS does not significantly affect ones life span

– Fatigue is the most common symptom in MS

– MS is not contagious

– MS is a progressive disease with no cure

– MS is the most common central nervous system disease among young adults

– The farther from the equator, the more numbers of MS there are

– In a person with MS, their nervous system attacks healthy myelin – Myelin is like the insulation around a wire for the nerves in our brains – Without it, messages can’t get through properly

– MS can be visibly obvious or a silent disease – either way, the symptom are real

– The orange ribbon stands MS awareness and represents hope for a better tomorrow with the chance of being one step closer to a cure