The connection between vitamin D and MS is strengthened by the association between sunlight and the risk of MS . The farther away from the equator a person lives, the higher the risk of MS . Sunlight is the body's most efficient source for vitamin D — suggesting that exposure to sunlight may offer protection from MS .
A new study from Germany involving over 1700 people with MS shows evidence that sunlight exposure, as indicated by blood levels of vitamin D and latitude (distance from the equator) of residence, were associated with the severity of MS.
Seasonal effects on MS symptoms
The hotter it gets, the worse I feel. Fortunately, the effect is temporary, and once I find myself in cooler surroundings, such as after sunset, my condition improves, and I am no longer a prisoner in my air-conditioned home. September and October are ideal weather months for me.
Some people with MS notice that symptoms, particularly spasticity, become worse in cold weather. It is generally recommended that people with MS who are sensitive to temperature try to avoid extremes of either hot or cold.
However, a recent meta-analysis concluded that vitamin D supplementation (low or high dose) did not significantly affect disability and relapse rate in MS patients during treatment [63].
Vitamin C is known to participate in myelin formation (10, 11). Collagen synthesis, which is dependent on Vitamin C, has also been linked to the formation of myelin sheath (12, 13). Vitamin C can be found in foods such as peppers, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, and berries.
High-fat diet in combination with exercise training increases myelin protein expression. PLP and MBP levels were highest in the group that exercised and consumed a high-fat diet. Exercise training or high fat consumption alone also increased PLP.
MS causes nerves to lose their myelin sheath, making them more vulnerable to heat and temperature changes. Heat exposure can cause or heighten fatigue, numbness, blurry vision, tremor, confusion, imbalance, and weakness. This is a pseudo-exacerbation as symptoms typically dissipate once the body is cooled.
To be a true exacerbation, the attack must last at least 24 hours and be separated from the previous attack by at least 30 days. Most MS exacerbations last from a few days to several weeks or even months.
If you have a condition like multiple sclerosis (MS), cold temps can make your symptoms worse and make you flat-out uncomfortable. You might find that it's harder to move your limbs, you get more muscle spasms than normal, or your muscles feel tighter. Doctors aren't sure why cold temperatures make MS symptoms worse.
High temperatures may trigger a relapse. If you're one of those people affected by warm surroundings, you should skip saunas, hot tubs, and hot showers and baths. Most of the time hot weather causes fatigue. Also, do what you can to avoid being outdoors on hot days.
Answer one is January. In modern times, the first month of the year traditionally reaches the coldest temperatures. Are you old enough to remember Jan. 21, 1985, when it was 4 degrees Fahrenheit?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) triggers that worsen symptoms or cause a relapse can include stress, heart disease and smoking. While some are easier to avoid than others, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and overall health and wellness can have outsized benefits for MS patients.
An MS exacerbation needs to be distinguished from a pseudoexacerbation, which usually lasts less than 24 hours. Typical triggers of pseudoexacerbation include high body temperature, (fever/infection, too much exercise or activity), menses, new medications and stress.
Fatigue - an overwhelming tiredness - is one of the most common invisible symptoms of MS. Some people find it's the symptom that affects them most. But there are ways to manage it and minimise its effects on your life.
Despite having a similar core temperature to those without MS while resting and exercising, people with MS show a significantly reduced sweat response.
Some people with multiple sclerosis find that cold temperatures make their symptoms worse. It doesn't have to be extreme cold, it could be a light breeze or getting caught in the rain on a summer's day.
Between 60% and 80% of people with MS find that heat can cause their symptoms to worsen. This might involve a build up of fatigue, blurred vision, loss of balance or a worsening of cognitive symptoms such as concentration or memory.
The fact that multiple sclerosis is most prevalent in northern Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand has led to speculation that it has been carried around the world by European colonists and settlers.
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world, with an estimated 90,000 Canadians living with the disease. On average, 12 Canadians are diagnosed with MS everyday.
These data suggested that vitamin B12 increased the level of MBP, which plays vital roles in the myelination process and the appropriate formation of myelin thickness and compactness. Meanwhile, LFB staining showed that vitamin B12 restored myelin by reducing the vacuolar changes in the myelin sheath after TBI.
In addition to its protective effects, vitamin D has recently been put in the spotlight to uncover if it can help drive remyelination – the process by which specialized cells repair the damage to the myelin that ensheathes nerve fibres in the central nervous system – in people living with MS.
Abnormal immune reaction believed to attack myelin
In MS, an abnormal immune system response produces inflammation in the central nervous system. This process: Damages/destroys myelin and oligodendrocytes. Causes damage to the underlying nerve fiber.