Ask the Experts: multiple sclerosis risks and causes

The cause of multiple sclerosis, a disease of the immune system, is unknown, but some believe there are genetic and environmental factors. In this video, Tanya Altman, MD, reveals some risk factors, like age and gender.

Transcript

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[MUSIC PLAYING] What causes some people to get multiple sclerosis is unknown,

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but it's considered to be an autoimmune disease where a person's own immune system attacks healthy cells.

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In MS, those healthy cells are the myelin coating around the nerves that act like the rubber insulation

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around electrical wires. Experts believe that some combination of genetics and environmental factors leads to MS,

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but they don't know what those factors are or how to prevent the disease. MS can affect people of any age but is

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most common between ages 15 60. And women are twice as likely to get it as men.

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If one of your family members has it, your odds of getting MS is higher. Although smoking doesn't necessarily

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put you at risk for developing MS, smoking after a diagnosis can make the disease worse.

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And some viruses like the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mono, has been looked at as a possible cause of MS. Regardless of what

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causes the disease, there are several effective treatments that can make living with MS manageable.