“Trapped in the darkness”: This is how actress Christina Applegate described her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). The 52-year-old actress discussed her daily life with the disease on her personal podcast. “It feels very terminal, like a trap in deep darkness.”
Symptoms of the disease include tingling sensations in the face and extremities, motor weakness in the arms and legs, various forms of paralysis, sensory disturbances, blurred vision and coordination issues between the eyes, balance problems, and impaired bladder control.
Promising breakthroughs
In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have been developing innovative treatments, including antibodies that bind to different immune system components and prevent them from destroying the myelin. Patients experience significant symptom relief and disease progression halts, sometimes preventing disability.
Legendary basketball coach David Blatt also suffers from a specific type of MS known as PPMS. He is undergoing advanced biological treatment, which, while not repairing the damaged areas, prevents further deterioration. The medication is administered intravenously every few months in the early stages of the disease, alongside physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to strengthen muscle power.
