Columns The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye This Week: Pollution, Salt, Stress, and Air Travel MS News That Caught My Eye This Week: Pollution, Salt, Stress, and Air Travel by Ed Tobias | June 19, 2017 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link In case you missedĀ them, here are some news stories that appeared in MS News Today that caught my eye over the past week. **** Air Pollution May Trigger Relapses in MS Patients, French Study Finds Attention if you live in location where the air quality is poor; a new study points a finger at air pollution as a possible trigger for MS exacerbations. Patricia Inacio writes about this small study, based on patients in Strasburg, France, which reports the relapse can happen in a matter of daysĀ after breathing dirty air. Air pollution, particularly tiny inhalable particles aroundĀ 10 micrometers in diameter,Ā is aĀ likelyĀ trigger for relapsesĀ in multiple sclerosis patients,Ā a French study reports. The study, āAir pollution by particulate matter PM10 may trigger multiple sclerosis relapses,ā was published in the journal Environmental Research. A growing number of epidemiological studies suggest that air population may be potentially involved in neurological diseases, such as Alzheimerās and Parkinsonās disease. **** High Salt Consumption Has No Effect on Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms or Prognosis, Study Finds Are you one of those people who puts salt on everything you eat? Doing that may harm your heart and have other negative health effects. But here’s a study, reported on by Janet Stewart,Ā that says high salt intake has no impact on early MS. Eating a diet high in salt wonāt worsen or speed up multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, concludes a study of MS patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS).Ā That contradicts earlier studies by researchers from Argentina, Vermont, and elsewhere who warned of a possible link between high sodium consumption and MS. The latest study, āSodium intake and multiple sclerosis activity and progression in BENEFIT,ā appearedĀ in the journal Annals of Neurology. CIS is a firstĀ neurologicalĀ episode caused byĀ inflammationĀ or loss of the myelin sheath protecting neurons. Doctors consider CIS a stage of MS, or may diagnose it later as a kind of MS as more evidence becomes available. **** Stressful Environment Triggers Inflammatory Cells Linked to Autoimmune Diseases Like MS, Study Shows We’ve known for long time that stress has an effect on MS symptoms. Here’s a study that may open a window that will show us why.Ā Patricia Inacio writes about it: A stressful microenvironment, characterized by low metabolites and low oxygen levels, triggers the generation of immune cells directly implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, āCellular Stress in the Context of an Inflammatory Environment Supports TGF-Ī²-Independent T Helper-17 Differentiation,ā was published in the journal Cell Reports. Immune cells are vital players defending our organism not only against pathogens, but also by doing surveillance and cleanup of harmful cells, such as cancer cells. T-cells, a type of white blood cell, are part of our immune system army and their function isĀ tightly regulated by factors present in their microenvironment. **** National MS Society Joins Other Groups Urging Reform of U.S. Law Protecting Disabled Airline Passengers I used to fly a lot on business and still fly regularly. My experience as a handicapped flyer has been good 99 percent of the time. But it’s still not easy, and I’ve seen some other flyers with disabilities receive some pretty lousy treatment from flight crews. So, I’m 100 percent behind this effort and hope that you will be, too. The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ and a dozen other advocacy groups have banded together toĀ support theĀ Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2017, a bill seekingĀ to strengthen the rights of airline passengers and close service gaps often faced by patients with disabilities, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS). President Ronald Reagan signed the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) into law in 1986 to prohibit discrimination against disabled air passengers.Ā Although the ACAA did indeed improve access for patients with disabilities, such peopleĀ still face significant barriers today. The pending 2017 legislation highlights the ACAAās original spirit through a series of strategies designed to improve access to air travel. *** Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. Print This Page About the Author Ed Tobias People say to write what you know and Ed Tobias knows about MS. He's lived with the illness since 1980, when he was 32 years old. Ed's a retired, award-winning broadcast journalist and his column combines his four decades of MS experiences with news and comments about the latest in the MS community. In addition to writing his column, Ed is one of the patient moderators on the MS News Today Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. Heās also the author of āThe Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox: Hints and Tips for Living with M.S.ā Ed and his wife split their time between the Washington, D.C. suburbs and Floridaās Gulf Coast, trying to follow the sun. Tags air pollution, salt, stress Comments Greg Dahlen I do wonder if my unusual diet would help ms. For about nine years now I've been living more than 90% on fluid milk products. So every day more than 90% of my diet is some kind of milk--skim, 1%, 2%, whole--plus I occasionally drink pints of half-and-half (half milk and half cream) or pure cream straight. In my case the diet helps with a complex eye problem. To put it simply, if I eat mixed, solid food my eyes hurt and vision blurs, but when i live on this diet, they feel and see okay. I think for the same reason the diet helps my eyes, that the nutrients from milk and cream are gentler, more soothing and less clogging & irritating than those from solid food, the diet might help ms. Disclaimer: no medical authority has approved this diet as safe or healthy for human beings. But it has worked excellently for me, and i think my body works similarly to many's. Reply Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
April 24, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Autoantibodies seen in blood years before MS diagnosis: Study
April 23, 2024 News by Mary Chapman Itās year 10 for MSAAās upcoming Improving Lives Benefit for MS
April 23, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD AAN 2024: Subcutaneous Ocrevus led to nearly no relapses after year
