Causes and Risk Factors of Multiple Sclerosis
The exact cause of MS is not known, but certain factors directly contribute to the development of this disease. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which there is an imbalance of the immune system’s function, and the immune system attacks the body’s healthy tissues. The attack caused by the immune system results in the inflammation of the body issues, which further increases the chances of dysfunction of the body organs. In the condition of multiple sclerosis, the abnormal response of the immune system results in the destruction of the fatty substance, i.e., myelin that protects and covers the nerve fibers in both the brain and spinal cord. Myelin acts as a protective and insulation coat that also aids in the smooth flow of information throughout the central nervous system.
When the protective coat, i.e., myelin, is exposed to some kind of damage, then the nerve fiber becomes bare. The exposed nerve fibers face blockage in the transmission of information or the nerve impulses passing through them, and the whole process of nerve impulse transduction slows down eventually. The exposure of the nerve fibers also makes them face more damage as their insulation is not present anymore. The exact phenomena of why multiple sclerosis occurs in some people and not in others are not yet known. But a combination of environmental factors, the presence of any mutated genes happens to contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis.
Genetics
The direct inheritance of multiple sclerosis does not happen in the people. Still, if you have any immediate family member having a history of multiple sclerosis, then your chances of developing multiple sclerosis are also higher. The chances of developing multiple sclerosis increases by about 2 to 3% in the people who have a family history of multiple sclerosis. As it is known from the very beginning that multiple sclerosis occurs due to the presence of a mutated gene in your family members, and it passes from one generation to another. Multiple sclerosis tends to run in families and cause disabilities in people affecting their quality of life. If one or more of your immediate family members (parents or siblings) has or had multiple sclerosis, then you are most likely to get the disease. However, the type of multiple sclerosis and the severity of the disability and neurological damage varies greatly in the same family members having multiple sclerosis. Due to this family history factor, the doctors recommend the family members of multiple sclerosis patients to do regular testing for multiple sclerosis to stay sure.