Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that affects one’s nervous system, namely the spinal cord, the brain, and the optic nerve. MS compromises the functioning of one’s central nervous system. This leads to a variety of problems caused by poor or non-existent communication between the brain and other parts of the body. MS is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the myelin sheathing that enshrouds the nerve fibres and protects them. MS is hard to live with as it can severely compromise the quality of one’s life. Unfortunately, we still don’t know what exactly causes MS. We do know that one’s age, race, and gender have a role to play in determining one’s chances of afflicting this ailment.
The effects of MS can be mildly discomforting to downright life changing. Patients may experience a degradation in their vision and maybe even complete vision loss. Sensations of numbness and tingling in the body are common as well. Feeling fatigued, weak, and having difficulty in maintaining a steady stride are also common effects of MS. It goes without saying that this disease makes functioning normally difficult. The worst thing about MS is that it’s a chronic disease that can only get worse with time.
According to research, MS seems to be 2 to 3 times more common in women than in men. In fact, recent studies suggest that the women to men ratio for MS can be a striking 3:1. This prevalence of MS in women may suggest that the amount and type of hormones in your body may have something to do with developing this disease. There’s further evidence that further builds up on the theory that hormones have something to do with MS. Women who have MS have noticed that their symptoms become less severe during the duration of their pregnancy. They’ve also noticed that their MS flares up after they have given birth.
There’s plenty of evidence that ties MS with hormone balance. However, MS is a very complicated disease that is affected by numerous intricate factors. We’ll need a lot more factual data before we can begin drawing up any conclusions. Research done by Washington points at a completely different culprit. It shows how a woman’s brain handles certain proteins in a different manner than a man’s brain. This may have something to do with women being more susceptible to MS than men,
Overall, at the moment, we don’t know enough about MS to conclusively say that women are more vulnerable to MS. While there’s a higher number of women being afflicted by MS and research does indicate that women have a higher chance of developing MS, we can’t say why this is so. Hopefully, scientists will be able to make breakthroughs in MS research and begin understanding this disease better. Once we can actually begin understanding the causes behind MS, we can begin moving towards treating this disease and finding ways to cure it once and for all.