Researchers found the strongest association in women who reported sexual abuse. Childhood trauma, including sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, may be linked to an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in later life among women.
A population-based, longitudinal follow-up study in 2015 showed that patients with spinal cord injury have an increased risk of developing MS [4]. The most frequent form of trauma putatively associated with the appearance or recurrence of MS is the whiplash injury, often from a rear-end collision [5].
Childhood trauma may be linked to a heightened risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in later life among women, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. The observed associations were strongest for sexual abuse and for experience of several categories of abuse, the findings show.
Unexpected stressful life events may alter immune function and affect susceptibility to autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS).
But studies which have investigated whether stress causes MS have been mixed. Although the person with MS knows from their experience that their MS symptoms started after or alongside a stressful period of time, there is no direct evidence that stress causes MS — although it might trigger it.
We do not know for certain what causes multiple sclerosis. Scientists believe that a combination of factors trigger the disease. Studies support the opinion that MS is caused when people with the right combination of genes are exposed to some trigger in the environment.
But ongoing research shows many reasons could be at play, including your genes, where you live, and even the air you breathe. Though some things, like emotional trauma and infection, can worsen MS symptoms, there is no evidence to suggest that anything you do could cause the disease or stop its natural progress.
There is some evidence to indicate that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may make you more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and chronic diseases like MS are known to trigger psychological issues like PTSD.
Results show that the more abuse the study participants faced or dysfunction they saw at home, the more likely they were to go to the hospital for autoimmune diseases later in life. A separate study found a connection between childhood trauma and C-reactive protein (CRP), which is produced by the liver.
Sarcoidosis is another inflammatory autoimmune disease that shares some symptoms with MS, including fatigue and decreased vision. But sarcoidosis most commonly affects the lungs, lymph nodes, and skin, causing a cough or wheezing, swollen lymph nodes, and lumps, sores, or areas of discoloration on the skin.
The most common depressive symptoms in MS include irritability, discouragement, memory/concentration problems, fatigue, insomnia and poor appetite. Guilt and poor self-esteem are rarer in these patients [10].
What is the leading cause of MS? The strongest risk factor for multiple sclerosis known so far is infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). An EBV infection has been shown to increase the risk of developing the autoimmune disorder by 32 times.
Depression, persistent anxiety and extreme irritability are not natural or inevitable, even in people with MS. However, they are very common. These changes require treatment just like any of the physical symptoms of the disease; mood changes can be a significant source of pain and distress in and of themselves.
The symptoms of MS depend on the severity of the inflammatory reaction as well as the location and extent of the plaques, which primarily appear in the brain stem, cerebellum (involved with balance and coordination of movement, among other functions), spinal cord, optic nerves, and the white matter around the brain ...
Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is the most common course of MS. If you have RRMS, you will experience clearly defined attacks of new or increasing neurologic symptoms. These attacks — also called “relapses” or “exacerbations” — are followed by periods of partial or complete recovery (remissions).
Increasing evidence suggests a link between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical health. Stress disorders may lead to impairment of the immune system and subsequent autoimmune disease.
Psychological stress is reported to be a risk factor for autoimmune diseases, including Graves' disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Different types of stress and the length of time that stress is present might also affect the presentation of inflammatory autoimmune disease. There is no one known cause for autoimmunity.
Never Self-Diagnose MS From Anxiety
There is one tip that you always need to keep in mind - that you should never self-diagnose MS, especially if you have anxiety. Unfortunately, anxiety causes many of the same symptoms as the early stages of MS.
You're not born with symptoms of MS. If you develop MS it's usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40. However, it can also develop earlier or later than that. There's currently no way to tell whether someone will develop MS later in life.
Disease Course of MS Is Unpredictable
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.
The researchers found that over the past 25 years, life expectancy for people with MS has increased. However, they also found that the median age of survival of people with MS was 76 years, versus 83 years for the matched population.
Multiple sclerosis usually affects people between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and the average age of onset is approximately 34 years. Multiple sclerosis can affect children and teens (pediatric MS). It has been estimated that 2%-5% of people with MS develop symptoms prior to age 18.