[Friend2U]

I will preface this by saying... this is probably a really dumb question!!! But what the hay... I'll ask anyway! Since, everyone here is much wiser and more experienced than I am.

Is it possible for a person to be predisposed (maybe not the right word) to ms, and it just lies dormant until something happens to activate it. I'm just thinking... I had been stressing my body majorly since I was in my late teens, doing physical labor like hauling square hay bales, carrying 50 lb. feed sacks, picking up rocks and working in the garden till I felt like collapsing just to see the beautiful plants with absolutely NO WEEDS! Staying up half the night doing house chores....basically working too hard for the wrong reasons, year after year.

I GUESS I'M JUST WONDERING... DID I CAUSE MORE DAMAGE TO THE MS DUE TO MY LIFESTYLE????????

Like I said, this may be a really dumb question. So Please just ignore me if it doesn't make any sense.

Thank you!

[jackD]

It is VERY VERY doubtful that even heavy use of your body in work or daily living would contribute to causing MS.

If you had been doing something to severly aggraviate your immune system by constantly being in a situation that would cause you to get viral or orther infections, then I think you could have made your self more vulnerable to getting some over-active immume disorder like MS.

My opinion is that for a few unfortunate folks that getting a series of very common viral infectons can trigger MS. There are very few enviromental causes of MS. The only one that I am aware of is excess zinc exposure.

Stress can aggravate MS and even contribute/cause a relapse for some.

I hope you can find some truely pleasurable/fun things to enjoy and have a more relaxed lifestyle.

jackD

[Kitty]

Originally Posted by jackD

My opinion is that for a few unfortunate folks that getting a series of very common viral infectons can trigger MS. There are very few enviromental causes of MS. The only one that I am aware of is excess zinc exposure.

I agree. I had Mono and Chicken Pox between the ages of 18 and 25. I fully believe that is what triggered my MS......but I didn't have full blown sx of MS until 2003 (both legs numb). Some 20 years later. I had mild sx along the way but always brushed them off and they went away. After my episode in 2005 (double vision, vertigo, bells palsy, numbness) I couldn't ignore it any longer. That's when my dx came.

Your question isn't a dumb one. I had tons of questions early on.....and still do! This is a perplexing disease!

[kicker]

DH says I was spoiled, says my Dad even told him before the wedding )If Dad was saying something he was just trying to be funny. The point is I did very little labor for anyone, unless it was gym or walking for a cause. Shoot, had a c-section for my twins, I've never labored in my life. Have PPMS, late onset of 46, Had a very healthy childhood and adulthood, in a chair (poo) but little else. Being in chair has made dizziness fine, though I'd rather walk dizzily. I think just something (virus, moon in the 7th high??) set it off, wasn't hard work for me.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Friend2U

Is it possible for a person to be predisposed (maybe not the right word) to ms, and it just lies dormant until something happens to activate it.

Yes and predisposed is the correct word

It has been thought for a long time that we are predisposed to MS and "something" triggers it. I believe the trigger(s) will be as varied as the disease.

Each of us have had different life experiences and illnesses at different stages of life. Some of those life experiences and illnesses affect a majority of the population and the majority of the population does not have MS.

[FinLady]

I think it's an interesting question.

I believe in the whole predisposed to ms thing (one of those rare people with it on both sides of family), but don't think lifestyle contributes to the triggers. Some have had very little, some have had a lot of physically intensive jobs and lives.

I think major life stresses (like car accidents, etc.), environmental stuff, and certain viruses are much more likely the culprits. What we think was my first flare was right after the first car accident I was in as a teen.

My bro's autoimmune stuff showed up big time after a major accident he was in too, but suspected it was always there. He has RA and Psoriasis.

so to make a long answer short (too late ) I don't think the labor intensive stuff made the MS worse.

[karousel]

I believe we are predisposed to MS and there is something that triggers it. I had mono and chicken pox but I also had rosiola and feel those illnesses helped trigger my MS. My first MS sypmtoms happened right after going through a very serious stressful situation as a teenager. So because I experienced those illnesses and went through that stressful period, my MS was triggered. Snce MS is different for every single person who has it, I think different things trigger each case of MS.

[Dejibo]

why does one identical twin get it, and the other steers clear? I have met several sets of ID twins, and only one has it. Why do several members of the same family do the exact same thing for the exact same amount of time, and yet, only one child in the family has it, or 5 out of 6 have it?

This disease is bizarre. My sister has abused herself to the point of being criminal. She has led a ragged life. She is healthy (not mentally) and is capable of living to be a very old lady. I led a better life, better education, higher standard of living, more services provided, and had better medical care, and yet, I got MS.

[Debbie D]

I think that you're correct...I feel that some of us are predisposed genetically to autoimmune diseases...just depends on which one pops up.
My mom and sis had rheumatic fever, and my dad had severe psoriasis...so I would think that my gene pool is autoimmune disease prone.
Not a dumb question at all...

[SallyC]

Short answer is yes, I believe we are genetically predisposed to MS and that lifestyle can be a factor, in triggering it.