Scientists have yet to uncover what exactly results in the development of multiple sclerosis. However, continuous research efforts make it clear that a host of factors play a part, including genes, where you are located, and the air that enters your body.
The Immune System Malfunctions
Multiple sclerosis is thought to be an immune-mediated disorder if not an autoimmune disease. Medical experts cannot yet put their fingers on why, but something appears to incite the immune system to strike against a substance with an important role in the body known as myelin. Myelin is a fatty material that produces a protective coating around the nerve fibers found in the brain and spinal cord. When myelin’s protective covering gets impaired, this impacts the nerves’ ability to transmit signals throughout the central nervous system. Without myelin’s protection, nerves can also incur serious harm.
Multiple sclerosis also seems to be more prevalent among individuals with a pre-existing autoimmune disorder such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).
Environmental Factors Increase the Risk
Studies have found that those residing in particular geographical locations and of certain ethnicities are more susceptible to MS. The condition is especially prevalent in places with cold climates such the Scandinavia, northern regions of the United Kingdom, and almost all of northern Europe–areas that are relatively far from the equator. Hence, people who reside in locations near the equator run a very low risk of getting multiple sclerosis. In the United States and Canada, MS is most common among those of northern European background.
If you move to a region where MS is prevalent from an area where MS is less likely before you reach your teens, your chances of getting MS are also higher. This hints at a strong correlation between your pre-adolescence geographical location and your MS risk level, which may have a link to how much sun exposure you get. Research suggests that vitamin D–naturally produced by the body with exposure to sunlight–can play a key role in the prevention of immune-mediated conditions.
Do you smoke? Then you run a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis. In fact, MS takes a much more aggressive and faster-advancing form among smokers. Giving up smoking can thwart the advancement of MS even if it is done after you get an MS diagnosis, meaning it is never too late.
The Role of Genes
While MS is technically not genetically inherited, genes still play a part in its development. Also, if an immediate family member such as a parent or sibling has MS, your risk of MS goes up as well.
Scientists have also identified a number of genes that contribute to a higher risk of multiple sclerosis, meaning some people are born with the genes that predispose them to a higher susceptibility to environmental triggers.
The Role of Viruses
There is research that suggests a connection between two of the herpes viruses and MS. Nearly all MS patients’ spinal fluid shows a presence of the type of proteins that are typically found in those with a nervous system condition triggered by a virus. However, there are no answers as to whether the virus contributes to MS or it is a byproduct of the disease.
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