7 Surprising Facts About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common progressive neurologic disease in young adults worldwide. In the United States, roughly 300,000–400,000 American adults have MS.

MS is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, leading to damage in the affected area of the body. In MS, the attack is on the brain and spinal cord, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, pain, cognitive and mood changes, and bladder or bowel dysfunction.

Below are some interesting facts about MS that you might not know.

An "Invisible Illness"

Invisible illnesses (also called silent conditions and disabilities) cannot be seen by other people at first glance. People with an invisible illness may not appear sick even though they have symptoms of a chronic illness. These symptoms can even be debilitating.

MS can be considered an invisible illness. The symptoms of the disease can significantly affect a person's day-to-day life, but this impact might not be immediately apparent to others.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, having symptoms that are not easily seen by others can have a negative impact on a person's confidence and their relationships. It can also discourage people from asking for help when they need it or from seeking treatment.

More Common in Colder Climates

Geography is an environmental factor that contributes to the development and progression of MS. A 2012 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences looked at different parts of the world that have a higher prevalence of MS and tried to determine what these places have in common.

The study found that people living in higher latitudes—or areas of the world that are farther from the equator—have higher rates of MS than people living in other parts of the world. Examples of the places identified as having a higher prevalence of MS are Finland and Scandinavia.

Vitamin D May Help

Vitamin D plays a role in the health of the immune system. It's thought that being deficient in the nutrient can increase the risk of developing MS. Vitamin D level changes can also affect the activity of the disease, which means that low vitamin D levels can both increase the risk of developing MS and affect how the disease progresses.  

Studies have investigated whether getting more vitamin D through either natural means (the sun) or supplementation could help people with MS. A study from 2018 found that people with MS at risk for vitamin D deficiency could benefit from taking supplements of the nutrient.

However, more research is needed to determine how much benefit there could be to taking vitamin D if you have MS. The main conclusion drawn from the studies is that people with MS should try to avoid becoming deficient in vitamin D.

The Cause Is a Mystery 

The cause of MS, like many other autoimmune diseases, is not known. Medical researchers have yet to figure out exactly why the immune system mistakes healthy cells for dangerous ones and attacks them.

Even though some triggers of MS have been identified, the reason MS develops and progresses is not well understood.

Genetics is considered a risk factor for MS. Research has identified other possible contributors to the onset of MS, including vitamin D deficiency, the season in which a person is born, viral infections such as Epstein-Barr, and smoking tobacco.

Pregnancy May Ease Symptoms 

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, when a person with MS becomes pregnant, their symptoms may decrease. Changes in the body that take place during the second and third trimester of pregnancy can lead to less overall inflammation, which may help ease a person's symptoms and even lead to fewer flare-ups.

It's been thought that MS symptoms will flare up right after pregnancy. However, recent research has shown that this may not be true. MS flare-ups ebb and flow sporadically, and there is no evidence that a person is more likely to have a flare-up postpartum than at any other time over the course of their disease.  

It's More Common in Women

Any person can have MS, but women are four times more likely to develop the condition than men. Research has suggested that differences in the brains of men and women may affect their risk for MS.

One study in 2014 looked at levels of a type of blood vessel receptor protein known as S1PR2 and found that women had higher levels of the specific protein than men. The protein was also found in higher amounts in the areas of the brain that are damaged by MS.

The reason that this specific receptor protein was of interest to researchers is that it decides how many immune cells (which help the body ward of infection and disease) can cross through blood vessels and go into the brain. When the immune cells get into the brain, they cause inflammation, which in turn leads to the development of MS.

1 in 5 New Patients Are Misdiagnosed 

It's quite common for MS to be misdiagnosed. Roughly 18% of MS cases are eventually classified as misdiagnoses. Typically, MS is diagnosed using the McDonald criteria, a set of diagnostic criteria designed to determine whether a person is exhibiting the telltale signs of the disease.

MS can be hard to diagnose because it has nonspecific symptoms that do not necessarily appear the same way in every person with the condition. For example, it's typical for MS patients to have discreet neurological symptoms that come on quickly, go away (resolve), then come back again months or years later.

A Word From Verywell

There is a lot that we still do not understand about multiple sclerosis. We do know that certain factors can contribute to disease development and that there are some effective ways to treat it. In some cases, the progression of the disease can be slowed and people can effectively manage their symptoms.