What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
Doctors and scientists believe that multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system: the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. A fatty tissue called myelin, which helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses, surrounds and protects our nerve fibers. MS occurs when myelin is missing in several areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken. Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but also makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, our nerves cannot do their job; this is what causes MS symptoms.
What are the characteristics of MS?
Doctors and researchers have identified several different variations of the disease, each of which might be mild, moderate, or severe. The most common form is Relapsing-Remitting MS, where there are clearly defined flare-ups of the disease and episodes of acute worsening of neurological functioning. Partial or complete recovery periods and (remissions) free of disease, follow the episodes. This is by far the most common form of MS; approximately 85% of MS sufferers have this.
It used to be that half of MS sufferers with relapsing-remitting MS developed Secondary-Progressive MS, with an initial period of relapsing-remitting disease, followed by a steady worsening of symptoms. New and powerful disease-fighting drugs have been developed; but there is not currently enough information to tell how effective they are long-term.
What causes MS?
The exact cause of MS is unknown. The disease is a malfunction of the immune system. Researchers have identified various possible factors, including genetics, gender, and environmental toxins.
Who is most likely to get it?
- Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.
- 2X - 3X as many women as men.
- There is no evidence that MS is directly inherited.
- MS occurs more commonly among people with northern European ancestry, but people of African, Asian, and Hispanic backgrounds are not immune.
- Approximately 400,000 Americans have been diagnosed with MS; 200 new cases are diagnosed weekly.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary with individuals, and from time to time in the same person. Fatigue, severe vision problems, loss of balance and muscle coordination, slurred speech, tremors, stiffness, and bladder problems are just some of the symptoms.
How is it diagnosed?
There is no single test available to diagnose MS, so doctors use several tests and procedures including:
- Complete Medical History
- Testing reflexes, balance, coordination, vision, and checking for areas of numbness
- Diagnostic Tests including MRI scan and spinal tap
How can I find out more about MS?
There are a number of websites about MS. The information above has been obtained from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website: www.nationalmssociety.org
> back to topAll Seven Summits have been climbed by only an elite few. They consist of:
Mt. MiKinley, Mt. Kiliminjaro, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Aconcagua, Mt. Carstensz Pyramid, Mt. Vinson Massi, and Mt. Everest
1. Mt. McKinley (Denali, Alaska, USA)
- Elevation (feet): 20320
- Elevation (meters): 6194
- Range: Alaska/Yukon Ranges
- State: Alaska
- Country: United States
- Continent: North America
- Latitude: 63.0694
- Longitude: -151.004
- Difficulty: Major Mountain Expedition
- Best months for climbing: April, May, June
- Year first climbed: 1913
- Convenient Center: Talkeetna, Alaska
- Nearest major airport: Anchorage, Alaska
Description: Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America. It is a huge snowy mass, flanked by five giant glaciers and countless icefalls. It dominates the horizon from as far south as Cook Inlet, 200 miles away, and as far north as Fairbanks, 150 miles away. Its steep unbroken south slope rises 17,000 feet in twelve miles. Five major ridges extend from the summit, and many spurs and buttresses extend from these. The mountain is increasingly known by its native name, Denali, which means The Great One in the Athabaskan language. Denali is not an especially difficult climb technically, but the weather is more severe here than anywhere else in the world, and many lives have been lost attempting the ascent. The number of attempts on the summit have increased dramatically in recent years, and a greater percentage of these are ending in failure.
- Elevation (feet): 19,563
- Elevation (meters): 5,963
- Range: East Africa Mountains
- Country: Tanzania
- Continent: Africa
- Latitude: -3.06667
- Longitude: 37.35
- Difficulty: Walk up
- Best months for climbing: December, January, February, March, June, July, August
- Volcanic status: Extinct
- Year first climbed: 1889
- Convenient Center: Marangu via Moshi, Tanzania
- Nearest major airport: Nairobi, Kenya
Description: Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, located in Northeast Tanzania, near the Kenya border. Kilimanjaro is an extinct volcano, and is one of the most massive in the world. It towers 15,000 feet above the surrounding arid plains, and 2.5 square miles of its surface are over 18,500 feet. Beneath its ice dome, snow extends down long gullies that have been eroded in the mountain sides. Kilimanjaro's summit crater, known as Kibo, measures an incredible 1.5 miles across. The highest point on Kibo's steep rim is Uhuru, the highest peak in Africa. Nestled in the center of Kibo is a smaller crater, 600-feet deep in sulfurous ashes. Mawenzi (16,893 ft), Kilimanjaro's smaller second cone, is seven miles east of Kibo, separated by a long saddle. Mawenzi is an older cone, jagged from erosion, with sheer faces on all sides. Despite its lower elevation, Mawenzi is the more difficult climb, and no approach is possible without rock climbing and/or snow and ice climbing skills. Mawenzi is the third highest peak in Africa. Mount Kenya (17,057 ft.) is second. The approach and climb provides spectacular diversity, from scrub-lands thick with African wildlife to lush forests to flowering alpine tundra. All this finally gives way to snow and rock above 15,000 feet. Kilimanjaro's summit crater, known as Kibo, measures an incredible 1.5 miles across. The highest point on Kibo's steep rim is Uhuru, the highest peak in Africa. Nestled in the center of Kibo is a smaller crater, 600-feet deep in sulfurous ashes. Mawenzi (16,893 ft), Kilimanjaro's smaller second cone, is seven miles east of Kibo, separated by a long saddle. Mawenzi is an older cone, jagged from erosion, with sheer faces on all sides. Despite its lower elevation, Mawenzi is the more difficult climb, and no approach is possible without rock climbing and/or snow and ice climbing skills. Mawenzi is the third highest peak in Africa. Mount Kenya (17,057 ft.) is second. The approach and climb provides spectacular diversity, from scrub-lands thick with African wildlife to lush forests to flowering alpine tundra. All this finally gives way to snow and rock above 15,000 feet.
- Elevation(feet): 18,510
- Elevation(meters): 5,642
- Range: Caucasus Mountains
- Country: Russia
- Continent: Europe
- Latitude: 43.355
- Longitude: 42.4392
- Difficulty: Basic Snow/Ice Climb
- Best months for climbing: June, July, August, September
- Volcanic status: Extinct
- Year first climbed: 1874
- Convenient Center: Mineral'nye Vody, Russia
- Nearest major airport: Moscow, Russia, Kiev, Ukraine, Tbilisi, Georgia
Description: Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe. It is part of the Central Caucasus, but is located several miles north of the main crest. Its origin is volcanic, and though it has long been extinct, it still retains its gently sloping, conical shape. Of the twin cones rising on its summit, the highest is located west of another cone that is only slightly smaller (18,442 ft.). The summit is capped in ice year round, and countless glaciers sprawl from its slopes. All told, the mountain and its vast glaciers cover 56 square miles. The summit provides incredible views of the entire Caucasus.
- Elevation (feet): 22,841
- Elevation (meters): 6,962
- Range: Andes
- Country: Argentina
- Continent: South America
- Latitude: -32.65
- Longitude: -70.2333
- Difficulty: Major Mountain Expedition
- Best months for climbing: Late December, January, February, March
- Year first climbed: 1897
- Convenient Center: Mendoza, Argentina
- Nearest major airport: Mendoza, Argentina
Description: Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere, located in western Argentina, near the Chile border. Aconcagua is a gigantic mass of rock, not picturesque in the traditional Alpine sense, but magnificent by its size alone. It dominates the sky west of Santiago, Chile's capital city, and is visible from the Pacific coast, 100 miles away. Though the mountain's summit crest and radiating ridges are largely windswept free of snow, large glaciers fill the valleys on all but the southern and western flanks. Some climbing routes are relatively straightforward hikes to the top, but this is the very reason that Aconcagua has one of the highest mountain death tolls in the world: It is a popular mountain, and many of its climbers tend to move too swiftly up the mountain, with little respect for the elevation or the weather, which on Aconcagua can quickly become severe.
5. Mt. Carstensz Pyramid (Australia)
- Elevation (feet): 16,023
- Elevation (meters): 4,884
- Range: New Guinea
- Country: IndonesiaContinent:Australia/Oceania
- Latitude: -4.08333
- Longitude: 137.183
- Difficulty: Scramble
- Best months for climbing: February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
- Year first climbed: 1962
- Convenient Center: Wamena
- Nearest major airport: Wamena
Description: Puncak Jaya (also known as Carstensz Pyramid) is the highest mountain in the Pacific Basin, and is typically considered the highest peak of the seventh continent (Australia/Oceania) for climbers attempting the Seven Summits. It rises from Irian Jaya's steep and rugged Sudirman Mountain range, just fifty miles from the island's southern shore. Much of this range is characterised by easy terrace, surmounted by severe rock walls. Jaya's north face is comprised of sheer 10,000 foot cliffs which embrace an extensive ice wall glacier.
6. Mt. Vinson Massif (Antarctica)
- Elevation (feet): 16,066
- Elevation (meters): 4,897
- Range: West Antarctica Ranges
- Country: Antarctica
- Continent: Antarctica
- Latitude: -78.5833
- Longitude: -85.4167
- Difficulty: Major Mountain Expedition
- Best months for climbing: December, January, Febuary
- Year first climbed: 1966
- Convenient Center: Two permanent research stations on Ross Island: McMurdo (United States), Scott (New Zealand)
Description: Vinson Massif is the highest mountain of Antarctica. It is a massive mountain, stretching thirteen miles long and eight miles wide. Its location, the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, is home to most of Antarctica's highest peaks. Climbing Vinson is not considered technically difficult, but Antarctica's extreme climate makes ascending Vinson a serious undertaking.
- Elevation (feet): 29,035
- Elevation (meters): 8,850
- Range: Himalaya
- Country: Nepal
- Continent: Asia
- Latitude: 27.9833
- Longitude: 86.9333
- Difficulty: Major Mountain Expedition
- Best months for climbing: April, May
- Year first climbed: 1953
- Convenient Center: Namche Bazar, Nepal
- Nearest major airport: Kathmandu, Nepal
Description:Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Its elevation of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) was determined using GPS satellite equipment on May 5, 1999. It was previously believed to be slightly lower (29,028 feet /8,848 meters), as determined in 1954 by averaging measurements from various sites around the mountain. The new elevation has been confirmed by the National Geographic Society.
The first seven attempts on Everest, starting with a reconnaissance in 1921, approached the mountain from Tibet, where a route to the summit via the North Col and North Ridge seemed possible. All were unsuccessful. George Mallory, who spearheaded the first three expeditions, lost his life with Andrew Irvine during a failed ascent in 1924.
Unsuccessful attempts continued through 1938, then halted during World War II. By the war's end, Tibet had closed its borders, and Nepal, previously inaccessible, had done the opposite.
Starting in 1951, expeditions from Nepal grew closer and closer to the summit, via the Khumbu Icefall, the Western Cwm, over the Geneva Spur to the South Col, and up the Southeast Ridge. In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit. Since the first successful ascent, many other individuals have sought to be the first at various other accomplishments on Everest, including many alternative routes on both the north and south sides.
Italy's Reinhold Messner has climbed Everest twice without oxygen, once in four days. He is also the first to solo climb Everest, which he did in 1980. Ten years earlier, Yuichiro Miura of Japan had been the first person to descend the mountain on skis. In 1975, Junko Tabei, also of Japan, was the first woman to climb Everest. The first disabled person to attempt Everest was American Tom Whittaker, who climbed with a prosthetic leg to 24,000 feet in 1989, 28,000 feet in 1995, and finally reached the summit in 1998. The first blind man to reach the summit was Erik Weihenmayer in 2001. The record for most ascents belongs to Sherpa Ang Rita, who has reached the summit ten times.
Overall, more than 600 climbers from 20 countries have climbed to the summit by various routes from both north and south. Climbers' ages have ranged from nineteen years to sixty. At least 100 people have perished, most commonly by avalanches, falls in crevasses, cold, or the effects of thin air.
Climbing on Everest is strictly regulated by both the Nepalese and Chinese governments. Permits cost thousands of U.S. dollars ($50,000 for a seven member party in 1996), and are difficult to obtain, and waiting lists extend for years. Treks to Everest base camp, minus the summit attempt, are becoming increasingly popular on both the north and south sides of the mountain. On the north side, a Buddhist monastery stands at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier, beneath Everest's spectacular north face. The monastery is one of two whose locations were selected specifically to allow religious contemplation of the great peak. The other is the Thyangboche Monastery in Nepal. The once-active Rongbuk monastery in Tibet has required much rejuvenation from the destruction it experienced following China's invasion of Tibet.
Mount Everest is also known by the Tibetan name Chomolangma (Goddess Mother of the Snows), and by the Nepali name Sagarmatha (Mother of the Universe).