| MS may progress rapidly, disabling the person by early adulthood or causing death within months of onset. However, the majority of young individuals with MS (70%) has a virtually normal life expectancy and can lead active and productive lives for years. However, the course of the disease and the rate of disability varies considerably from person to person. Some individuals may have periods of acute exacerbation with prolonged full or partial remissions. While most individuals at least partially recover from the first attack, others gradually become more disabled, bedridden, and incontinent by early mid-life. At 10 to 15 years after onset of MS, approximately 50% of individuals will need assistance to ambulate (Fertikh), and 15% will need a wheelchair (Frohman). A small group of individuals suffer gross disability within the first year. Although MS is not in itself fatal, approximately 50% of those who are severely disabled may die from the complications of being bedridden or from recurrent infections (O'Connor). |
Source: Medical Disability Advisor