Nearly 2,000 Estonians have multiple sclerosis, with symptoms often going unnoticed

Approximately 2,000 people in Estonia have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Most develop the disease during their most productive working years, between the ages of 20 and 40. The symptoms of the disease are often hidden and difficult to detect.

In Estonia, there are currently nearly 2,000 people diagnosed with sclerosis multiplex (MS), or multiple sclerosis. It is a serious chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, and its symptoms can remain almost invisible for a long time.

Particularly concerning is the fact that the disease strikes most frequently during people's most productive working years — most patients receive their diagnosis between the ages of 20 and 40. This means the disease significantly impacts both their personal lives and career opportunities.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath around nerve cells in the body. Symptoms can be very varied — fatigue, balance disorders, vision problems, numbness and muscle weakness — and these can alternate between periods of exacerbation and remission, which makes early detection difficult.

The hidden nature of the disease complicates diagnosis, as patients themselves may not take their symptoms seriously at first or attribute them to some other cause. Therefore, raising awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public about the signs of the disease is particularly important to help patients receive assistance in time and begin appropriate treatment.