Is Multiple Sclerosis Hereditary | Early Symptoms | Risk Factors

Is multiple sclerosis heredity or genetic? What are the causes of this disease, or what are factors that will put you at higher risk of developing the disease? And what are common symptoms or less common signs that occur? These are some frequently asked questions about multiple sclerosis (MS). Overall it is a serious disease that can generate other health problems, such as numbness, loss of vision, muscle control, and balance. What else you need to know?

You might also like to read about life expectancy, types & stages, and more facts of multiple sclerosis, before continuing! 

Multiple sclerosis definition

This potentially debilitating disease can affect the spinal cord and brain. In people with MS, their own body’s immune system usually impairs the protective sheath of the nerves without unknown reason. This condition will lead to a deterioration associated with the nerves themselves, which then will generate problems associated with the communication between the body and the brain.

That’s why people with MS are more likely to have loss of sensation, vision, balance, and muscle control! Furthermore, multiple sclerosis also can be categorized into autoimmune disease (disease that occurs due to the body’s immune system).

MS early symptoms or signs

The signs that occur are usually influenced by where the affected nerve fibers are located! And the symptoms usually vary widely from person to person.

In many cases, the early symptoms occur in the age of range 20 to 40. But though the disease is relatively more common in adults, but it also can occur in children and teenagers. From all cases of 400,000 diagnosed MS in the U.S -- there is about 10,000 - 80,000 cases are in children.

The most common early signs of multiple sclerosis include:

1. blurred vision (or double vision)
2. early problems associated with the balance of the body
3. experience weakness in certain limbs
4. loss of sensation in the early stage
5. and tingling

In a few cases, people with MS may also experience less common early symptoms that may include; difficulties in cognitive, paralysis in sudden onset, problems associated with coordination, and experience slurred speech.

Late symptoms or signs of multiple sclerosis

In line with the progress of the disease, the existing symptoms usually will get worse if left untreated and there are also other symptoms /complications that may occur.

1. Fatigue, which is usually present in the mid-afternoon. Sometimes this symptom is also followed with increased muscle weakness, drowsiness, or increased metal fatigue. Even some people with MS can experience more fatigue after having a good night’s sleep.
2. More sensitive to the heat. In other words, the symptoms can get worse when doing certain activities that exposed to heat, such as when taking hot shower.
3. The performance to move the muscles of arms and legs decreases!
4. As the disease progresses, there is a chance for the complex nerve pathways to become damaged -- and the complex nerve pathways have important contribution to coordinate vision & other crucial inputs to the brain. This problem can lead to lightheaded or off-balance feeling.
5. Half of patients with multiple sclerosis experience impaired thinking such as; decreased memory and concentration. Even people with MS also have higher risk of developing severe impaired thinking that can affect daily living.
6. Problems associated with the vision. But fortunately, most vision problems in people with MS will not cause blindness.
7. Abnormal or lack of sensations, like ‘pins & needles’! But this symptom is usually manageable (treatable) and not categorized into life-threatening & debilitating symptom.
8. Swallowing difficulties, which then also generate problems associated with the mechanism on how to speech.
9. Another debilitating problem that may occur in line the progress of the disease is tremors.
10. The numbness and lack of balance in the feet also can put people with MS at higher risk of having difficulty walking.
11. And in a few cases, people with MS may also experience seizures and problems associated to the mechanism on how to breathe.

Note: if you in doubt to your condition -- see a doctor promptly for clearly diagnosis!

Is multiple sclerosis genetic?

There is still no clearly answer whether MS can be inherited. But in many cases, if you have a family history of MS, then you are more likely to have the same condition.

You may have about 1-3 percent chance of developing MS if one of your siblings or parents has had MS -- according to a published article on MayoClinic. Furthermore, some experts believe that there is more than one gene that can put someone at higher chance of getting MS.

In correlation with genetic, there is also theory that multiple sclerosis develops because an individual with a genetic predisposition reacts certain environmental agents, which then may trigger an autoimmune response. 

More research is required to find a clearly answer for the link between genetic and this disease!

Other conditions or factors that can increase your risk of having MS!

1. You experience other types of autoimmune disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, and thyroid disease.
2. MS is relatively more common in New Zealand, southern Canada, Europe, or other areas with temperate climes.
3. You have certain infection, especially from Epstein-Barr virus.
4. Gender -- women have higher chance of having MS than men.
5. This disease can occur at any age, but it is more common in the age of 20-40s.
6. Furthermore, white people especially those who come from northern Europe may also have higher risk of having MS if compared with people of Native American, African, or Asian.

__________
Reference: MayoClinic and WebMD
Image credit to ‘shutterstock’ for illustration