Overview:
Over the years much considerable research has taken place to try and pin down the causes of multiple sclerosis and the answers remain elusive. While it is believed to have direct relation to Vitamin D deficiency, genetic predisposition and the Epstein-Barr virus no “smoking gun” has been absolutely found.
With that all said however there are some other factors that may and the keyword is “may” be contributing factors to onset of MS.
Other Suspect Factors:
Smoking:
Research studies have shown that smoking increases risk of multiple sclerosis significantly and that if a person is diagnosed with MS continuing to smoke appears to make disease progression more aggressive. So, do not smoke.
Melatonin:
A research study in 2015 at the Raúl Carrea Institute for Neurological Research in Buenos Aires showed that during fall and winter seasons that MS Attacks among patients were fewer than the summer and spring months. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone. You can read about the research by clicking this link.
Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6)
HHV-6 may also be involved in MS — specifically related to triggering relapses. Steve Simpson, PhD, and colleagues at the Universities of Tasmania and Melbourne have found that HHV-6 antibodies were associated with a higher risk of relapse. Also, antibody levels were nearly three times higher in women with progressive MS. These researchers suggest that tracking HHV-6 antibodies may help to predict the clinical course of MS.
CCVSI (chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency):
CCVSI is a condition where blood vessels are constricted causing blood to not be able to flow readily from the head causing what is said as a pooling effect. Back in 2009 a researcher in Italy stated that 100% of MS patients he examined had CCVSI. It caused a tremendous stir in the MS research and clinical community. Some considered that perhaps the condition would affect oxygenation within the brain for example. Research in Canada that followed and is in fact still ongoing today does not show the condition in all MS patients but in fact found the condition is statistically just as significant in healthy people as those with MS. To learn more about CCVSI simply click this link.
Blood Entering Into The Central Nervous System:
Another research study in 2015 displayed in a mouse model that a single drop of blood entering into the central nervous system resulted in an immune system response. To see the information on this study please click here.
Sex Hormones:
There is growing evidence that hormones, including sex hormones affect and be affected by the immune system. Estrogen and progesterone, two important female sex hormones, may suppress some immune system activity. When these hormone levels are higher during pregnancy, women with MS tend to have less disease activity.
Testosterone, the primary male hormone, may also act as an immune response suppressor. The higher levels of testosterone in men may partially account for the fact that more than twice as many women as men have MS.
Oligodendrocyte Death:
Oligodendrocytes are cells that are responsible for repairing and maintaining the myelin sheath the insulates and helps nerve cells conduct electrical signals in the central nervous system. A research study in late 2015 displayed in a mouse model that the death of these cells may have a direct impact on the onset of multiple sclerosis. You can read about this research by clicking this link.
