15 Causes And Risk Factors Linked To Multiple Sclerosis

3. Thyroid Disease

Individuals affected by thyroid disease may be at an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Thyroid disease occurs when an individual's thyroid gland produces too little or too much thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism, the production of too little thyroid hormone, is a common occurrence among patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Individuals affected by multiple sclerosis naturally have a deficiency in some of the enzymes required for their small intestine to digest certain dietary proteins. These dietary proteins are made up of amino acids required for the body to perform numerous critical functions. Due to this mechanism, multiple sclerosis patients lack the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine. The thyroid gland requires an adequate supply of tyrosine in order to make enough of both of the main thyroid hormones. This chain of events can explain why hypothyroidism is commonly associated with multiple sclerosis.

4. Climate

Climate can be one of the few environmental factors that can increase an individual's risk of developing multiple sclerosis. This condition occurs most commonly in the regions of the world that are furthest away from the earth's equator. Individuals who were born in one area but migrated to another area before they reached fifteen years old assume the multiple sclerosis risk of the new area. Individuals who live in regions characterized by temperate climates like Canada, New Zealand, northern United States, Europe, and southeastern Australia have a greater risk of developing multiple sclerosis than those who live in warmer climates. The reason for this is because surpassing exposure to sunlight in warmer regions allows an individual's body to produce a greater amount of vitamin D. The exact mechanism is unclear, but the role of vitamin D in the immune system is said to play a factor in the development of multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, climate can influence multiple sclerosis clusters, which are very high numbers of multiple sclerosis cases at specific times in specific locations. These clusters are caused by exposure to some type of environmental agent in a certain climate prior to when an individual reaches puberty.