Mumbai: When Sheela Chitnis founded the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India (MSSI) in 1985, multiple sclerosis (MS) was barely recognized in India's medical landscape. Four decades later, she says the silence has not lifted nearly enough. Cases are rising, but awareness remains frozen in time.
MS: A Chronic Condition Affecting Young Adults
MS is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that impairs its functioning, often causing disability in young people. It frequently begins deceptively—with sudden blurred vision, a stumble, or coordination problems. Patients are often referred to neurologists years after symptoms first appear. While diagnosis has become easier with MRI scans, reaching that point remains a journey fraught with social and financial hurdles.
Consider 45-year-old Ramesh (name changed), registered with MSSI. His first symptoms appeared when he was 26, but it took another seven years for the correct diagnosis. As a result, he progressed into secondary progressive MS, characterized by worsening neurological function and disability.
Naina, an architect, has been somewhat luckier. After graduating in 2015, she noticed blurry vision and a small black spot in her vision. She consulted three ophthalmologists, but it was a year before she was advised to undergo an MRI that revealed her MS diagnosis. Because treatment and diagnosis were done early, it didn't affect me much, she told TOI, adding that the spot gradually vanished. Before her diagnosis, she had never heard of MS.
Rising Cases and Diagnosis
Neurologist Dr. Kaustubh Mahajan from S L Raheja Hospital, Mahim, noted a steady increase in reported MS cases in India. This is partly because of the greater availability of MRI scans and increased awareness of neurological problems. Plus, other causes related to urban living and evolving immune systems, he said.
Life After Diagnosis
Once a diagnosis is confirmed, life changes dramatically. MS reshapes daily routines, forcing patients and families to adapt in ways they never anticipated. MSSI provides mobility aids and diapers free of cost to patients. However, stigma remains perhaps the sharpest barrier. Women often stay silent about their diagnosis, worried it could derail marriage prospects.
Treatable and Manageable
MS is not contagious, not hereditary, not a mental illness, and rarely fatal. Crucially, it is now treatable and manageable. Injections administered every six months, newer medicines, and rehabilitation methods are keeping patients hopeful. MSSI has recently launched programs to help MS patients find employment.
