Friday, March 14, 2014

National MS Awareness Month || Root Causes



The reason there's no cure for MS is that, while researchers understand how it happens--it's a specific immune system response which attacks the central nervous system--they don't know what can trigger it. The result is that they can only guess at how to treat it, and must rely on dual approaches--treating the symptoms separately while also finding ways to halt or slow its progression. Research has been ongoing for decades in terms of both cures and vaccinations to prevent it, but until they can isolate its root causes, those of us with MS are still going to be guinea pigs, either at the hands of the medical/pharmaceutical community or at the hands of the alternative medicine community.

Basically there are four areas where MS is examined in search of etiology, or disease origin. 

Immunology
There's a lot of agreement here, that multiple sclerosis is a disorder of the immune system. Which makes sense. It's a war between a hyperactive immune system and the body's central nervous system. 

Genetics
There are multiple genetic connections which are still being identified and understood, but this is more in the range of protein triggers and not genetic inheritance. One twin who gets MS does not mean the second twin has a high chance of also getting MS; the odds are nominal (3% chance, compared to 1% chance in the general population). 

Environment
It seems likely that MSers are suffering due to exposures to certain kinds of elements in our environment, as statistics continue to bear out how MSers respond to certain toxins relative to their geographic location. 

Infectious disease
Studies show a likely connection between MSers and exposures to certain kinds of viral infections.

There are also certain risk factors (to be clear: these are not causes, in and of themselves) that lend themselves to the "perfect storm" belying an MS diagnosis. These include people who are:

1. Of Northern European descent
2. In the age range of 20-40
3. Female
4. Already diagnosed with other autoimmune disorders (i.e. arthritis, Celiac disease, etc.) 

If one or more of these risk factors occurs in a person, the odds seem to go up that they could be at greater risk for developing MS. 

Here are the most popular theories about what could actually trigger MS in an otherwise healthy person. These potential root causes are the most discussed among patients, doctors and researchers. 

1. Exposure to some (still yet to identify) environmental agent before puberty 
2. Vitamin D deficiency
3. Lack of sunlight exposure due to geography
4. Smoking (first- or second-hand)
5. Exposure to either the human herpes virus-6 or the Epstein-Barr virus, especially early in life
6. Family history (see text above regarding genetic predisposition)

Still in the research phase are a few other potential theories getting some attention:

1. Exposure to radon and ionizing radiation
2. Exposure to acrolein, an environmental pollutant
3. Exposure to Epsilon toxin, produced by certain strains of Clostridium perfringens. This spore-forming bacterium is a frequent cause of foodborne illness in the United States
4. The presence of an unusual comorbidity known as Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI), a (controversial and unproven) condition in which blood drains abnormally from the brain and spinal cord
5. Root canal procedures (which always present the potential to damage the inferior alveolar nerve), which may make it possible for certain bacteria left behind post-surgery to enter the brain, leading to MS (sorry, no link here as I can't find any studies that can be accessed by the general population without a subscription).


Disproved theories about potential root causes of MS should be included in this discussion as they are still out there, circulating in the general population. If anyone ever tells you that any of these are at fault, please find a friendly way to educate them! 

1. Viruses carried by household pets
2. Allergies, in general
3. Heavy metal exposure (though this is controversial, still)
4. Physical trauma
5. Aspartame
6. Gluten intolerance
7. Antibiotic use
8. Fluoride

MS is not only mysterious, it's political 

Please remember to help support MS research whenever you can. The clinicians can never work fast enough toward the cure, but there are literally thousands of studies out there that are pointing to real possibilities, and they need your support via awareness and funding. 

I know many people with MS or who have loved ones with MS who are at the end of their patience waiting for a cure, and many of them have stopped believing that medical science is even interested in finding a cure. Not true! Research continues to require the astronomical expense of lots of broad test populations, major safety considerations and the latest in technology to complete studies on root cause as well as to test the viability of medications that might stop MS in its tracks. 

If you're American, you also have the added curse of an UNDERFUNDED medical research community reliant on pharmaceutical companies to pay for it all. If we, as citizens, would enact more legislation that supports more government funding, we might be able to take the presumed steering wheel out of the biased hands of Big Pharma and place it back into the hands of modern scientists who really do want to cure this disabling disease.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE National Multiple Sclerosis Society







Blog post sources:
What Causes MS? || National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Multiple Sclerosis: Risk Factors || Mayo Clinic