Multiple Sclerosis Causes & Risk Factors

What role does lifestyle play in the development of autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis? Integrative neurologist Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary believes it's a significant one. In this WisePatient video, she explains why. Full Answer

Demyelination is a process in which the insulating coating (myelin sheath) around the nerve fibers is destroyed, slowing or halting the passage of nerve impulses. The myelin sheath allows nerve impulses to be sent between the brain, the spinal cord, and... Full Answer

Brain Stent-Cerebellar Attack is the second most common, constituting about 38 percent of multiple sclerosis (MS) episodes. The cardinal symptoms are the three Charcot discovered in his housekeeper. Today called "Charcot's triad," they include double... Full Answer

The spinal cord attack is the most common type of attack, making up about 42 percent of multiple sclerosis (MS) episodes. In this situation the symptoms occur below the neck and fall into two categories - sensory and motor. Full Answer

Multiple sclerosis (MS) would not be an allergy to an environmental substance such as a hay fever attack from pollen or a skin rash from a new soap. What scientists link to MS is autoimmunity - when a person becomes allergic to his or her own tissue and... Full Answer

Some of the most emotional arguments concerning multiple sclerosis (MS) center around the theory that the disease may possibly be transmitted by dogs and that the virus that causes MS might be canine distemper. Canine distemper is caused by a virus... Full Answer

Although insects can transmit viruses to humans, it is highly unlikely that multiple sclerosis (MS) is transmitted this way. All of the known insect-transmitted diseases, such as encephalitis and yellow fever, are acute virus infections without the... Full Answer

Many patients fear they will transmit multiple sclerosis (MS) to their children. At the present time there is no scientific evidence that MS is transmitted from parent to child. However, there may be a transmission of susceptibility to MS. A type of... Full Answer

It is also possible that multiple sclerosis (MS) may be caused or triggered by more than one virus. Studies have already shown high levels of measles antibodies in the spinal fluid of MS patients. Additional studies have found even higher levels of... Full Answer

Since the two go hand in hand, it is difficult for researchers to distinguish the effects of surgery from the effects of anesthesia. But it is fairly common for surgery to be followed by a new attack within one or two weeks. The cause is usually thought... Full Answer