A lack of communication between the brain and the body is one of the main causes of Multiple Sclerosis. As for the causes of MS symptoms, the location of lesions is what dictates the types of symptoms displayed. The brain and the body are unable to communicate with one another when the myelin sheath is damaged on the outside of nerve cells. MS is an autoimmune disease, which means the immune system attacks the body and causes damage. Sometimes the myelin sheath can repair itself, if the damage is minimal. The outer covering on nerve cells is how signals are transmitted back and forth between the body and the brain, once these signals are no longer able to be received; a number of bodily functions are compromised.
MRI scans can locate current and past damage to nerve cells, but sometimes the disease must be present for quite some time before the lesions will appear on the cells. The more lesions, or scarring, there is, the more pronounced symptoms tend to be. Scarred nerve cells in the brain cause cognitive difficulties, slurred speech, a loss of balance, changes in vision, headaches, neck pain, changes in mood, and memory loss. Spinal cord lesions affect more of the lower extremities. So, they are connected to symptoms having to do with muscles, such as, difficulty walking, muscle spasms, paralysis below the waist, erectile dysfunction, or the inability to maintain bladder and bowel control.
Knowing exactly what are the causes of Multiple Sclerosis would be helpful, but this autoimmune disease is still somewhat of a mystery.
Probable Causes of MS Disease
Diseases considered to be ‘borderline MS’ are thought to be the cause to some forms of MS in patients. The few of these borderline diseases are chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), and balo concentric sclerosis. Additional illnesses have been thought to play a part in causing MS such as chicken pox, mono, and the hepatitis vaccine.
Besides illnesses, genetics could also be one of the causes of Multiple Sclerosis. Genetics have yet to be officially linked to family members having MS. If one family member receives a positive diagnosis, then the percentage of risk is higher that a sibling will also be diagnosed with MS, but this percentage is only between 2 and 5 percent.
Environmental factors seem to show the most promise to being one of the causes of Multiple Sclerosis. An area where the sun doesn’t shine as often tends to harbor a significantly higher percentage of MS patients. Researchers believe consumption of a high dose of vitamin D will greatly reduce the risk of MS. Research is still being performed on each of these causes of MS, in order to figure out what the exact cause is.
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