[Multiple sclerosis--difficult answers to easy questions]

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the nervous system leading to irreversible disability. The illness affects young, professionally and socially active adults. Patients ask their neurologists many questions concerning prognosis and their future lifestyle. The paper discusses factors enabling us to predict the course of the disease based on clinical data and findings of additional examinations. The authors present the effects of external factors such as temperature, stress, infections and preventive vaccination on relapse as well as their importance for long-term progression of the disease. Moreover, the current results of examinations evaluating the influence of pregnancy and delivery on the risk of relapse and deterioration of disability in the immediate and remote postpartum period and the importance of diet and rehabilitation are presented.