Residents are being urged to be aware of the silent menace of Multiple Sclerosis on the eve of tomorrow's Carnation Day to raise money for sufferers.

Fundraiser Richard Wakefield said there are 29 known sufferers in Bermuda but he suspected there were many more out there who have yet to be diagnosed because it was difficult to pick up.

The disease throws up a variety of symptoms and can only be diagnosed by a process of elimination.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) attacks the central nervous system with symptoms including blurred vision, loss of balance, fatigue and can eventually lead to paralysis and blindness.

One MS sufferer told The Royal Gazette she believes she had the disease for four years before it was eventually discovered in 1999.

She said problems came and went, leading medics to believe that she was suffering stress.

She said: "I had a problem with my eyes but as soon as I saw a specialist they couldn't find anything wrong and I was sent back to a GP. You feel like you are a hypochondriac.

"They tend to think it's stress because you are a woman."

Every MS sufferer has as story about the difficulty of getting a diagnosis said the 54-year-old housewife but she said early diagnosis was vital.

"Particularly in Bermuda as it's important to avoid heat which can exacerbate symptoms. There are things you can do to help yourself and your family understand the disease."

Mr. Wakefield said the Multiple Sclerosis Society was seeking to raise $15,000 in Friday's "tag" day by selling silk carnations at locations throughout the island.

The money will be used for wheelchairs, adult diapers and air conditioners to ease summer discomfort.

He said some sufferers paid out up to $1,000 a month for medicine but no insurer would take on a sufferer however he said BF&M offered a group rate.

Senior Vice President Carol Bassett said her company did not investigate individual medical circumstances in group plans, only with individual plans, before taking people on for medical insurance.

Twice as many women than men are affected by the disease said Mr. Wakefield.