I am just wondering if there are any people with MS that have any relatives with or had polio in the past?
That illness seems to have some of the same problems that MS has.
My grandad had that and parkinsons and why he only lived until 45.
I know there is so many things MS could be so I am not saying this is an answer at all, just interested.
Sorry forgot to say syptoms of Polio is
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Muscle and joint pain
Walking difficulties
Sleep apnoea
Sensitive to cold.
Had an Aunt with MS long before I was diagnosed, but no polio in my family, so there doesn’t appear to be any connection in this case!
Dom
Hi Mooglestar, I don’t find it surprising that polio and MS have features in common, because polio is short for “poliomyelitis”, which refers to inflammation of the spinal cord, which is what many people with MS have, too - also spot links with the word “myelin”! The difference is that polio is caused by an infection, but MS (so far as anybody has been able to discover) is not. So completely different causes, but similar stuff going on inside the body. I don’t think there’s any other link. Parkinson’s, however, is different. Both MS and Parkinson’s have been associated with mutations on the same chromosome (i.e. possible genetic link). I had a great aunt with MS, and another (her sister) with Parkinson’s. Although it was a large family (seven sisters and a brother) two of them having neuro-degenerative conditions seems quite a high strike-rate to me. I don’t reckon it was complete coincidence, but that they had genetic susceptibility. We know genes are only part of the story, though, and that there have to be other factors (probably multiple ones). Tina x