Multiple Sclerosis Causes & Risk Factors

The obvious question in early research was, "If the rubeola virus could cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), could it cause multiple sclerosis (MS)?" The plot thickened in 1962, when Adams and Imagawa reported that antibodies against the... Full Answer

Some data suggest that a common virus or other infectious agent may play a role in the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether it is a persistent viral infection or an immune reaction caused by a temporary viral infection in the central nervous... Full Answer

Tumors have never been found to cause demyelination and therefore have never been suspected of causing multiple sclerosis (MS). At one time, trauma, or injury, was thought to be the cause of MS. This was based on anecdotal accounts, not scientific... Full Answer

The exact relationship of injuries to onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been debated. The patient will naturally try to relate onset to a definable incident. Many case studies are very convincing - injuries are dramatic events that will easily be... Full Answer

Multiple sclerosis is not a hereditary condition but certain genes can increase the risk of developing the disease.  These genes increase susceptibility to developing MS, however having an affected parent or sibling does not... Full Answer

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) want to know if too much sexual activity is considered overexertion. This is not a significant factor, nor is the rise in temperature during sex. The only time sex may be too much of an exertion is when the person... Full Answer

Long ago, doctors suspected that multiple sclerosis (MS) was caused by something vascular, or related to the blood circulation. The key theory was that something was wrong with the blood vessels, that myelin lesions were possibly caused by spasms of the... Full Answer

Because of the unique geographical distribution of multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists were naturally drawn to the idea that a toxic agent might cause the disease. Over the decades they have studied soil and water to see if the disease might be related... Full Answer

Surveys of patients all over the world show that more women than men get multiple sclerosis (MS). Two separate studies in the United States reported a female-to-male ratio of 1.8 to 1. A survey in western Australia reported a 2.8 to 1 ratio of women to... Full Answer

Certain racial groups actually get no multiple sclerosis (MS) at all. They are the Eskimos, the Gypsies, the Yakuts in Siberia, and the Bantu in Africa. Among other black groups in Africa, MS is rare. In America blacks have about half the incidence of MS... Full Answer