The diagnosis of MS usually pulls the rug out from under the feet of those affected and their families, since the disease can lead to life in a wheelchair or death in the worst case. The origin of MS is still a mystery to researchers. We will show you the current findings on the causes of multiple sclerosis.
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What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the autoimmune diseases: the immune system of those affected classifies certain endogenous cells as hostile and fights them with an inflammatory reaction. In the case of MS, this happens in the brain and spinal cord , the body’s central nervous system. T helper cells attack the protective layer of the nerve fibers (myelin sheaths), which disrupts the transmission of stimuli. This leads to symptoms such as paraesthesia, gait disorders, paralysis or even visual disturbances.
Interesting: The name multiple sclerosis is derived directly from the course of the disease. Inflammatory foci usually develop at several ( multiple ) locations in the nervous system, which lead to the formation of scar tissue and hardening ( sclerosis ) on the nerve fibers attacked.
MS: The causes of multiple sclerosis
As with most autoimmune diseases, the exact cause of multiple sclerosis is still unclear. However, researchers strongly assume that not only genetics, but also environmental factors and lifestyle play a decisive role in the development. Presumably, the disease only breaks out when several risk factors are present together.
1. Genetic predisposition
As is the case, for example, with rheumatoid arthritis, which for genetic reasons can already occur in childhood and adolescence, specialist societies assume that genes can also play a role in MS. The disease itself is not directly inherited, but only the tendency or susceptibility to the onset of the disease when additional risk factors are present.
Incidentally , women are almost four times as likely to be affected by MS as men. It is not yet known why this is so. A certain protein (S1PR2), which occurs more frequently in the female brain, is currently under suspicion.
2. Pathogens
Certain viral infections also appear to be associated with the occurrence of MS. Scientists assume that viral infections in childhood, such as measles or glandular fever , but also infection with herpes viruses can increase the risk of multiple sclerosis. However, it is not the diseases themselves that trigger MS, but the reaction of the immune system to the respective infection.
3. Cigarette use
Smoking nicotine-containing cigarettes appears to be an extremely critical lifestyle factor associated with multiple sclerosis. On the one hand, studies have shown that nicotine consumption can worsen the course of the disease . On the other hand, according to research , smokers have a 1.5 times greater risk of developing MS than non-smokers.
4. Vitamin D Deficiency
It has not yet been conclusively clarified whether a vitamin D deficiency is actually the cause or rather a consequence of MS diseases. Nevertheless, in 2017 a Danish research team impressively showed that insufficient vitamin D status in newborns is associated with an increased risk of developing MS later in life. To do this, they compared the blood values of 521 newborns who had developed multiple sclerosis in adulthood and 972 comparison subjects who remained healthy. The results underline how important an optimal vitamin D supply during pregnancy is for the future child.
Furthermore, obesity , high salt consumption and a weakened intestinal flora are suspected of promoting the development of MS. In order to be able to finally determine the connections, however, further scientific evidence is necessary.
Also interesting: Foods that can help with MS >>
