Multiple Sclerosis Causes, Symptoms: What You Need To Know About Selma Blair's Disease

When actress Selma Blair arrived on the Oscars red carpet donning a beautiful Ralph and Russo gown and a cane, fans and photographers expressed their admiration for the strength shown by the actress who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Notwithstanding the pain that she was feeling caused by a flare-up of MS symptoms, a visibly emotional Blair said that she attended the awards night to remember the first time she made an appearance in the Vanity Fair Oscars Party back in 2000.

The actress’ attendance resulted in a barrage of questions about her condition. The actress shared that she has been living with the symptoms of MS for years but was only diagnosed with the disease in October last year.

But what is MS? And how is it affecting numerous people all over the world?

According to Health Line, MS is a serious neurological disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The millions of nerves in this system communicate important functions from our brain to different body parts. Our CNS affects our movement, our sensations, our memories, our cognitive functions and our speech.

The nerves in our body communicate via nerve fibers and these fibers are protected by a layer called myelin sheath. People diagnosed with MS have immune systems that attack this protective layer, causing the disruption of nerve signals.

Because of this, those with MS often show the following symptoms: problems with walking and coordination, muscle weakness and even vision impairment among others.

There is no exact cause of MS, but scientists believe that there are specific factors that contribute to the development of this condition.

First is the immune system. According to Mayo Clinic, MS is considered an autoimmune disease but scientists still haven’t found the exact cause that triggers an immune system to attack the myelin sheath. Further research is still being conducted to stop or slow down the progression of MS.

Next is genetics. Based on some studies, a person has a higher chance of being diagnosed with MS if a close relative like a parent or sibling is also affected. Based on information from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, individuals who were born with MS have a gene that’s susceptible to react to unknown factors that trigger the symptoms of the disease.

Location may also play an important role in triggering MS. According to some research, those located in countries that are farthest from the equator are more susceptible to developing MS.

With this, the connection of Vitamin D deficiency is seen as a factor for people with MS. Those living near the equator are more exposed to sunlight, so their bodies produce more Vitamin D.

Women are more prone to developing MS, but men can also get the disease. Most people diagnosed are aged between 20 to 50 years old and those with European lineage are said to be more susceptible to the condition.