Causes

What Causes MS?

Medical science is unsure as to what causes MS. Some doctors feel that it is caused by a virus or a possible genetic defect. "It is now generally accepted that MS involves an autoimmune process that is an abnormal response of the body’s immune system that is directed against the myelin (the fatty sheath that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers) in the central nervous system (CNS—the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves)"(National MS Society). There are however, several factors that could increase you chances of getting MS. A Caucasian is twice as likely to get the disease. The fact that we live in the Northern Hemisphere can contribute to us being more likely to get the disease. Women are twice as likely to get the disease as men. Although genetics does not yet have a direct link, because I have the disease, my children have a higher percentage chance of getting the disease than a child whose parents to not have the disease. The onset of the disease ranges from 20 years old until around 50. Although rare there are documented cases of children as well as the elderly who have contracted the disease.