The inflammation in our bodies can be very sneaky. I am not talking about the good inflammation, also known as the group of hormones called eicosanoids (eye-KAH-sa-noids). This group of hormones provoke our immune system to fight diseases, viruses and other invaders and help in repairing tissues…
Pamela Arterbridge noticed something was wrong back in 2013 when she woke up one morning, and her legs and feet were tingling. Two years later, Lorraine Lee knew she had a problem when her right leg became extremely fatigued after every workout. Neither realized their eventual diagnosis would be multiple…
A combination of mutations in two genes makes members of a Canadian family a 7-in-10 chance of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) — a radical increase from the 1-in-1,000 risk among the general population, according to a study that illustrates the huge impact certain genes can have on disease development. Interestingly, the…
Although multiple sclerosis is not believed to be hereditary, meaning it is not passed from parents to children, if it runs in the family, the chance of developing it increases. This is especially true with siblings, and between parents and children. If one parent is affected, a child will have…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is more common among people who live in countries with temperate climates, such as the northern United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and southeastern Australia, than among those living in warmer zones. This difference may be due to greater sunlight exposure (ultraviolet or UV light), which allows for…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought by many medical researchers to be an autoimmune disease, which is when the body’s immune system turns against its own tissues. There are a number of diseases that fall into this category, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease. In MS, the immune system attacks the fatty…
When you live with multiple sclerosis you search for ways to manage your disease. You turn to doctors who inevitably prescribe one of the many FDA-approved medications, but sometimes that’s not enough. To complete the picture of seeking better health, you need to also look outside…
The McDougall diet is a low-fat, plant-based diet that many people with MS appear to benefit from. Their mood improves and they have less fatigue when they follow the diet, a study has shown. Another reason the McDougall diet would be a good idea is growing evidence that…
The Paleo diet takes as its inspiration, as its name implies, the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors (i.e., Paleolithic times). Basically, it is founded on the concept that the human body cannot handle the highly processed foods of today, and is better adapted to eating foods that are found naturally. These…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers. This disrupts the electric signals traveling along the nerve fibers from the brain to the rest of the body and back, and leads to…
What is benign MS? Does it even exist? Certainly it is not one of the types of the disease often listed as making up the multiple sclerosis family. It is a term that is surrounded by controversy,…
Relaxation and serenity are both attainable with the correct calming techniques. When overwhelmed by stress, the skills that have been gained and practiced become second nature to be summoned as needed. The combination of stress and multiple sclerosis can wreak havoc in the body. It can lead to a…
Obesity and overweight are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may endanger health. Obesity rates have more than doubled since 1980 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults (39 percent of the world’s population 18 years or older) were overweight, and more…
The role of different genetic and environmental factors in influencing a person’s susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) has always been a matter of debate in medical science. Among various environmental risk factors, cigarette smoking has emerged as an important risk factor that may not only increase the risk of developing MS…
We all know, because we have heard it so many times, that MS is not the same for everyone — that no two people have exactly the same combination of symptoms. That got me…
The ACTRIMS 2017 Forum is the source of my Pick of the Week’s News as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. There is Increased Evidence Linking Viruses to MS Risk This evidence goes some way toward justifying my view, previously published, about connections between viruses and MS. In particular,…
Spending more time in the sunshine could make people with multiple sclerosis (MS) feel more energetic, though dietary vitamin D intake’s effect is mixed, depending on what type of MS a particular patient has. That’s the conclusion of a study — “Dietary intakes of vitamin D, sunshine exposure, EDSS and fatigue…
Does your MS fatigue and energy need a boost? I know mine does; having multiple sclerosis drains my battery very quickly. Add to that a terrible cold I had recently, and my fatigue has doubled, and my energy has left the building! While looking for a magic…
Here are my Picks of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Zinbryta Approved in Canada as Once-Monthly Treatment for Relapsing MS It can only be good for people with relapsing MS in Canada that they now may receive Zinbryta as a treatment.
I love it when the sun is shining. I spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, despite the impact of the heat on my multiple sclerosis. I love the warmth and the brightness. So, I lather up with sunscreen and I figure that, at least for me,…
This is my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. New Company Specializing in Stem Cell Platform for MS and Other Ills Raises $48.5M A news story about a new company raising nearly $50 million to further develop stem cell transplants that…
A large international research effort concluded that the geographical area where a person lives affects how early they will start showing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and that people living in the more northern regions having the earliest disease onset. The age at which a person fell ill also was…
Our days have gotten shorter since June 20, but somehow I managed not to notice until a few weeks ago. Perhaps it is because we had a late summer here in the Northwest, and could comfortably leave home without a coat until late September. That’s also the time that…
No matter what type of Multiple Sclerosis we have, all of us MS Warriors are in this fight together. Even though everyone’s MS battle is unique, and each of us have our own treatment plan, we all share a common bond, and we hope what is working for one will work…
In a large prospective study with validated measures of physical activity, researchers found no evidence that exercise reduced a woman’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Although physical activity is known to have numerous health benefits, it seems unlikely to protect a person against the likelihood of developing MS, the study concludes. The study, published…
Here’s my Pick of this Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. This week is a rather special one because it spotlights the work done by our news team in following and reporting the major events at ECTRIMS 2016. Here, I set out my choice of what I…
Early detection is very important for any disease diagnosis. With Multiple Sclerosis, it gives you the opportunity to start a treatment plan early that may help with slowing the progression of the disease. Symptoms of MS vary widely from person to person and can closely mimic other disease symptoms. Lesions don’t always…
Many people voiced their concerns to me about anyone with MS moving to live in a sunny climate. That worry is understandable. With a disease that includes heat sensitivity, where even a hot shower can make you worse, how can any MS patient move to live in an area where…
A large study of multiple sclerosis patients (MS) came to the conclusion that clinical and brain imaging assessments drawn from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are poor measures of long-term prognosis for patients. The study, “Long-term evolution of multiple sclerosis disability in the treatment era,” published in the journal…
Gut bacteria and health have been topics of considerable scientific speculation in recent years, and the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) research is no exception. But what do we really know about MS and our intestinal inhabitants? A review, “Emerging Concepts on the Gut Microbiome and Multiple Sclerosis,” published in…
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