How does it happen?

How does it happen?

The million dollar question really is: how does multiple sclerosis happen? Although Multiple Sclerosis has been recognised as a disease since the mid 1800s, there still is no clear answer to how it all happens. Much research carried out after many theories have been done and float around, the handful that have come out I will discuss below, excluding the many reasons 'suggested' by what I like to call the kitchen/bedroom doctors or professors who have ideas that are extremely absurd as to why the symptoms of multiple sclerosis occur ( a rant shared by many that we shall save for a rainy day!)

Starting with a few disproved theories as to why the condition arises; living with a dog or pet ( I know!), having allergies, experiencing physical trauma ( which was a huge idea that left people with regret or a feeling of blame for their close ones developing the disease) and aspartame (an artificial sweetener used in many diet soft drinks and other foods).

Genes and family history

MS is not directly inherited it's likely that a combination of genes make some people more susceptible to developing MS, but not everyone with this gene combination will develop MS. Genes are only part of the story. When I am asked if there is anyone in my family with MS, I usually reply 'nope, I'm the special one'

Food and diet

Yum, what used to be my favourite topic! The diet of MSERS being what lead to it's onset is another idea, scientists say junk and processed foods are partly to blame for the onset of autoimmune conditions due to the increased intake of sodium. Further research proposed specifically that the increase intake of salt in the diet of those with MS lead to their symptoms being a lot worse. Very difficult for me as I've always been on a bit of a 'seefood' diet, yes ate what I saw if it looked nice!

Smoking

Studies have also suggested that smoking appears to increase someone’s risk of developing MS though not being clear exactly why this is, although one theory is that the chemicals in the cigarette smoke affect the immune system.

Environmental factors

Countries closer to the equator having a very low number of people who have MS. With viruses ( one being the 'Epstein Barr virus, a common childhood virus) being a suggestion but nothing proven. A higher rate in countries like Scotland leaves more confusion with the link to the equator (see picture below).

Vitamin D

Last but not least, the thing that can lead to many problems if we do not have enough of. This so far is proving to be the most likely explanation though we still aren't there yet! For years studies have shown it may have had a huge part to play in MS but what really confused me was that as a young kid, I played out on the streets and parks of my neighborhood, so much so that times in the summer I left home and returned with a different colour skin! Recently a more conclusive study suggested that people who are genetically predisposed to having low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop MS. So perhaps we are all cherry picked to roam the land of MS, so I still take my grandfathers advice of sitting in the garden in the summer to what I call sunbathe, to try and get the D!

As my family are originally from the Asian sub continent, MS was very scarce amongst Asian people, as our bodies perhaps are used to a lot of sunlight compared to the amount we are exposed to in Europe there may be link to the vitamin D issue somewhere there too. Nevertheless, what initially was sought to be a 'white man disease' has now come to people of pretty much all colours, but I take the humorous approach and when people do raise that issue, I say we've obviously been here for too long!

At the current climate, I joke that anybody can come up with something that makes a bit of sense and it easily be believed, as MS is more commonly developed in the early 20s ( you obviously get a few early birds like me!) and predominantly in women, a study published by The Daily Mail (obviously!) suggested that 'morning after pills' increases the risk of developing MS, just to make clear I promise  I have never played around with any drug, especially it being one for a gender I am not! I never was that bad!

This post is obviously long, for the keen readers, the reference articles are posted below:

• http://preventdisease.com/news/13/030713_Scientists-Officially-Link-Processed-Foods-To-Autoimmune-Disease.shtml
• http://guardianlv.com/2014/08/salt-may-affect-progression-of-multiple-sclerosis/
• http://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms/information-about-ms/causes
• http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-news/2015/08/vitamin-d-link-ms-becoming-clearer 
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2569855/Multiple-sclerosis-linked-contraceptive-pill-Risk-50-higher-women-taken-it.html

About Multiple Sclerosis.

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Right so; what is this world that's so confusing and sometimes difficult pronounce?! What does it mean, what does it look like? How did it happen? How does it happen? Would it kill you? Would you need a wheelchair?

I'll try my best to explain in a way that's not like the doctors would explain I.E not in a mundane  manner and get past the millions of questions! 

Multiple Sclerosis is deemed ( I say deemed as there are numerous theories as to why and how it happens) an autoimmune condition affecting the central nervous system, so the brain and the spinal cord, which affectively branches out to the whole body, so MS affects everything! It being seen as an 'autoimmune' condition means that the immune system of the body (that which fights off things like colds and infections) is at war with the nervous system because the bodily 'army' the white blood cells cross over to where they are not meant to be (crossing the blood brain barrier), to where the brain and spine are. Therefore they see the nerve cells present there as abnormal and foreign in (the same way they would see cells of things like viruses) so start to attack them, attacking the insulating cover of these cells called the myelin sheath which allow the speedy conduction of signals that fly through our bodies, this is how all the damage that MS leads to occurs. 

To simplify things, the example of electrical wires are used to demonstrate the effect of the damage. Wires that are damaged lead to an electrical current that is unable to pass to it's destination properly. How I like to explain it rather, is a traffic jam on a motorway. On a normal day, people tend to be travelling at high speed, when there is traffic, things are slowed down, in the same way it would depend on the severity of the incident and thus the speed of the traffic, depending on the amount of damage done to the nervous system, the difficulty expressed and the severity of the condition. This does not have a set course with MS, that is why there may be many people with MS but they all look different, for example; some running a marathon yet others seemingly drunk and in an extreme case even wheelchair bound. Simply because the damage is almost like a game of minecraft, where there are only certain points, nerves in the body which are damaged.

Multiple Sclerosis is more present in females rather than males, thus one of the reasons I was encouraged to start blogging about it being that there are many female MSERS ( easier way to say people with MS!) that have blogs, but not as many males. It isn't contagious so no reason to be frightened if somebody says, ''I have MS''. The disease having impact in many different forms, reduces the life expectancy of an individual. There are four types of the condition and more 'theories' as to how it happens. To avoid boring anybody further ( I feel being sciency is the best way to explain things!) I will leave those things for a rainy day!

About the author!

Hello! I hope you re all well! I would have never thought I'd be an 'author' of anything apart from a few petty Facebook statuses, but hey, here I am! Let me enjoy my small moment off fame!

I thought it would be a good idea to give whoever reads my blog posts a little bit about myself in the more pre-MS days and my diagnosis. I was born in Hackney ( East London) on the 21st of September 1993, I am the youngest son out of a total of 5 brothers, with two sisters coming after me, yes we are quite a big bunch!

I was a very active young boy slightly chubbier than most (believe me that's an important point!), always amongst the high achievers in education, obviously except for P.E, but  I did try my best regardless. I loved and participated in many types of sports, swimming, boxing, tennis, cricket and football to name a few, even if may skills in sport where usually as good as a club striker with two banana feet! I was always conscientious in everything I found myself taking part in, for arguments sake, I remember in primary school, the lessons I attended late to, my teachers used me as an example as I had managed to get more work done that most of the class! Not showing off but just to let you know how things were, especially - like most Asian youngsters- in the fields of Mathematics and Science.

My family always remember me as a very 'naughty' young boy, as I sought anything to break the normal routine, but never had I bee extremely problematic in my childhood. My teachers however saw me as a well behaved student, until they realised any thing I had done to break the rules was 'hidden' in a way that my friends would be the cause to blame! But that too had it's cracking point, but I think I've learnt lessons from life and that's the best way to go!

When I was in year 10, I had completed my Maths GCSE qualification at the end of the year and went on to complete my GCSEs the year after doing exceptionally well in the subjects I really enjoyed, obviously statistics and science! Completely acing my chemistry exam with 100% on the results sheet. These points all being relevant, but within my final two years I had very mild warning signs of the onset of multiple sclerosis, those being two bouts of optic neuritis ( will be discussed later) and loss of sensation in certain parts of the body. Without me really seeing it as a huge worry at the time, I had figured a pathway to complete college and go on to study medicine at university and hoping to become a surgeon as I wanted to be of assistance to people and on the front line, very much literally!

At the end of secondary school, I went to perform the optional pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and then Jordan and Palestine thereafter. When I was away in Jordan and Palestine especially I was weakened considerably from the effects of the disease, but when I returned home within weeks of my return the ball was rolling before I was diagnosed. I had seen a consultant neurologist after a severe episode of optic neuritis in January 2010 but the results from an MRI scan in February 2010 were never chased up. I saw the same consultant in August of the same year and in the same fashion as the doctor from the TV series 'House' he said to me, after reading my notes for literally 30 seconds, it looks like Multiple Sclerosis. This was the same day in which my parents and sisters had returned from their holiday and the second I had told my father, I can never forget his face dropping from joy to worry and thereafter sitting me down and letting me know that he was there for me so I should never worry.

I was recalled into hospital in a different hospital which I am a regular patient at now ( The National Hospital For Neurology And Neurosurgery), MS is filled with words that really take effort to say! I had another MRI scan and a lumbar puncture ( anything that may seem confusing will be covered later on) within few weeks later I was falling over around the house, needing assistance to cover my blanket at night and feeling completely burnt out. I was admitted as an emergency patient in the same hospital through I'm sure my father's professional links ( he was a social worker working in all fields) and within a few days, the very thing I had prayed for ( an answer to the confusion), finally became a reality, after the discussion between the doctors, their visit to me in my own room in the hospital was a hesitant one, I asked if it was definitely Multiple Sclerosis, with a slight relief on the doctor's face he said yes it is. From there my journey was more evident, a relief knowing the name of what was happening, an end to the endless land of limbo and a worry about the future but comforted by an almost hidden hope.

Me myself and multiple Sclerosis

Me, myself and Multiple Sclerosis

Hello and welcome to my new blog. I wish to discuss my life and the lives of many living with the neurological,stereotypically debilitating and chronic condition ( I know that's a mouthful!) Multiple Sclerosis in my own 'different' way. I will address the physical, mental, psychological and social side of living with the disease and anything else that I think is needed to be heard from my own anecdotal experiences from the perspective of a young Asian Muslim male ( it really matters as we hopefully shall soon find out). 

I will try my best not to bore people to the best of my ability, I do like using humour when possible even though my sister tells me my jokes are drier than the walls of our home! I wish to let people understand and know the little things that make such huge impact in the lives of people living with the condition! In all fields of life, knowledge really does mean power.

I hope people will read and find my blog beneficial, my posts may not have a regular schedule and may vary in length but I will try my best to be of as much help as I can.

Your comments and tips will be more than appreciated, I am very new to all of this!