Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

MS is reportedly the most common chronic neurological disease in young adults, with 70 per cent of all diagnoses occurring between the ages of 20 and 50. The disease mistakenly attacks normal tissue, primarily myelin cells. Myelin is an insulating matter which protects nerve fibres in the central nervous system. Scar tissue that subsequently forms along the myelin sheath causes nerve impulse problems, as it can result in the symptoms of the disease, including impairment of motor, sensory and cognitive functions. The most common symptoms include extreme fatigue; blurred or double vision; numbness or pins and needles; weakness in the arms or legs; loss of balance, coordination and mobility; and problems with or changes in memory and speech difficulties.

In our country as many as 22,000 people are affected. Three times as many women as men have MS. They are more often Caucasian and more likely to be living in a temperate zone. MS is less common in warmer areas. Although there is neither a cure nor a specific cause, it is suspected that environmental and genetic factors are behind it. I understand that the incidence of MS in Tasmania is six times higher than in Queensland.

I nevertheless rise to speak on this motion for several reasons. When I was younger I struggled with fatigue, connected with my sport of rowing. My doctor briefly thought I had MS. Having done some reading on the disease, at the time I was a little concerned and was somewhat relieved to be later cleared of the possibility of having it. Unfortunately, since those days, my mother-in-law in Perth and my sister-in-law in Sydney have both been diagnosed with MS. I am therefore acutely aware of the challenges that face those who suffer from MS. The fatigue, the weakness and the balance issues are those that I know of from my wider family experience. But, in addition to those realities, I still remember when my mother-in-law, who has an ACROD disability pass on her car, was harassed by a person who said that she obviously was not disabled and was using the pass illegally, because she did not appear to be disabled. That is an additional challenge that faces many MS sufferers. They do not have the obvious outward signs of being disabled or even debilitated by the disease but, nevertheless, still suffer the debilitating symptoms of the disease. I learnt many years ago that seeing everything in black or white terms was a reckless approach. So I hope that more people can acknowledge the range of disabilities of others rather than immediately reach an incorrect assumption.

On more positive matters, I am pleased that the Australian of the Year 2011 is the well-known director of MS Research Australia, Simon McKeon. He established that organisation in 2004 and it is now the lead research organisation for MS in Australia. I congratulate him and welcome to the fight against MS the profile that his long-term commitment and now his position have added to the fight.

Given the vagaries surrounding the cause of the disease and the factors that contribute, it has nevertheless been determined that there are rehabilitation therapies that can assist sufferers. Physical therapy can assist and include exercises to stretch and strengthen muscles, as well as improve the range of motion, thereby assisting with fatigue reduction and muscle tightness. Occupational therapy in the provision of advice on aids to help in the home and workplace are available. Vocational therapy can offer advice on managing in the workplace. It is also the case that a healthy diet is of assistance, including keeping up the water intake; avoiding coffee and caffeine; eating high-fibre foods and foods with good omega-3, with some doctors recommending as many as three fish meals a week to make it beneficial. But, in overall terms, sufferers need to address having a low-fat diet.

Another interesting response is to address the downside of body overheating. It has been said that body heating adds to reduced nerve functioning and that there is a need for the body to be returned to a normal temperature. Active cooling can help reduce fatigue and improve the balance of a person. Researchers are now looking at cooling suits and whether they can be effective. Obviously, my constituents and other Australians with MS are not likely to have access to cooling suits, but they can use air-conditioners if they have them and not heat the home as much in winter and obviously avoid spa baths and heated pools, although swimming in pools remains very good exercise.

MS sufferers are also at greater risk with their symptoms when they have colds or flu because their immune systems are more active. This therefore highlights the need for preventive health measures like having flu shots, but not the nasal spray version because it has a live virus in it and that will activate the immune system.

From my indirect experience I appreciate some of the issues that face those with MS. Once you have it, life will always have its challenges. But, as I have said, therapies do exist to improve the lives of those who live with MS each day. It is, however, through research that we must continue to look for a cure to stop this disease. And, to those who suffer from it and those who will, I can say that I will always remain committed to the strong allocation of funding for research that will one day see the demise and eventually the elimination of this disease.

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