Is sunshine good or bad for MS?

Navigating the swirling and often unknown waters of a chronic medical condition like multiple sclerosis can be a confusing endeavor. Doesn’t it seem like we often receive conflicting information and nonsensical advice, even from medical professionals and scientific experts?

Take sunshine, for example.

Is catching a few rays a good thing for MSers, or is it a bad thing? Can staying out in the summer sun make us healthier and stronger, or does it set us up for flare-ups?

Let’s break it down for a moment.

1) Sun exposure gives us Vitamin D. That’s a good thing.

Yes, doctors. We hear you. We know we don’t get enough Vitamin D – no matter how many tablets we take. (My MS specialist has perfected the art of the nag on this topic, ordering blood draws every time the wind blows. And the lab always comes back with the same verdict: not enough Vitamin D.)

Doctors don’t seem to know whether MSers simply don’t take enough Vitamin D, live in climates where we don’t enjoy enough sunlight, or physiologically cannot absorb and use the Vitamin D we do get. For whatever reason, we seem to be perpetually low on this one, which is apparently a big help for coping with MS (as well as preventing osteoporosis, improving immunity, reducing inflammation, and helping with tons of other health issues).

OK, so spending time in the sunshine can boost our Vitamin D. That’s a plus. 

2) Sunny weather draws us to be up and about. That’s also a good thing.

Maybe MSers don’t all have Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD), but there’s definitely something to be said for stepping outdoors, and sunlight makes that much more inviting. Like almost anyone, we may find ourselves more motivated to get up, get out, and get moving when the weather is wonderful. And motion is good. Let's call it exercise, whether we roll or stroll or even jog.

3) Sunny days bring extra warmth, which can set off MS symptoms. That’s not such a good thing.

When an MSer overheats, past and present MS symptoms tend to go haywire. Blindness, confusion, disorientation, dizziness, fatigue, numbness, pain, tingling, vertigo, and tons of other weird stuff can happen. It’s not pretty. This delightful phenomenon has been documented as Uhthoff’s syndrome. And it means MSers tend to enjoy warm weather days in smaller doses than most other people. And don't get me started on hot flashes!

(We also use a lot less hot water than other folks. But that’s another story. Read: Remember when bathing didn’t make you blind?)

4) What about skin cancer? That’s a bad thing.

Just because we have MS, we are not immune from other health risks. That means we have to slather ourselves in sunscreen and cover up or seek shade on the sunniest days – just like everyone else.

So where does an MSer stand on the benefits of sunshine?

Despite the risks (and a few skin cancer surgeries), I’ll seek some sun. Sure, I’ll try to be careful out there, hoping to avoid additional appointments with the skin cancer surgeon and slug-fests with Uhthoff. But it sure beats staying inside and moping over MS. (I’ve tried that too, and it’s really not pretty, after a while.)

Related item/s:

• 30 prime picks: What foods contain the most Vitamin D?
• Does low vitamin D and teen obesity hasten MS?
• Just trippin’ with Rip van Winkle
• MS offers all sorts of vitamin D’s, if you look closely
• Multiple Sclerosis: 20 most troubling MS physical symptoms

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Do low vitamin D and teen obesity hasten MS?

Some medical researchers in Denmark now suggest vitamin D deficiency and obesity during adolescence may lead to accelerated onset of multiple sclerosis in affected individuals. If so, could the reverse be true? Could slimmer (perhaps fitter) teens who spend lots of time in the sun unwittingly stave off the MS MonSter till much later in life?

Maybe that’s why I didn’t find out I had MS till I was 50.

I spent lots of time outside in my youth and childhood. (I still do.) Biking, boating, hiking, skiing, and swimming have been some of my favorite pursuits. More recently, horseback riding, gardening, and running have beckoned me outside.

And I confess. I spent countless in my teen years under the sky, working on suntans. Now I endure frequent skin examinations and have been through countless freeze-offs and even basal cell carcinoma surgery. But I didn’t face MS till later in life.

Fair trade? I dunno.

OK, back to the medical research on teen obesity, vitamin D and MS.

The study team, based at Copenhagen University in Denmark, targets more than 1,000 MSers in Denmark and took their blood samples. The participants were asked about sun exposure, vitamin D supplements, and diet (especially consumption of fatty fish) during their teen years. The vast majority of those who indicated they had spent time in the sun daily during adolescence had developed MS later in life than those who did not.

Also, those who said they had been overweight as teenagers were found to have MS earlier than those who were not.

The findings were reported this week in Medical News Today.

Earlier MS research has already pointed to a possible connection between childhood or teen obesity and increased MS risk. Some experts explain this as arising from lesser physical activity, particularly outdoors, which tends to lead to decreased Vitamin D exposure. This stands to reason, perhaps, as those who spend more time playing and exercising outside tend to pick up more sunshine (and thus, Vitamin D).

Vitamin D seems to be a constant issue for many MSers. From deficiencies to improper absorption, we never seem to have enough vitamin D in our systems. (Raise your hand, if your MS specialist has ever put you on whopping doses of vitamin D.)

In the US along, some 200 individuals are newly diagnosed with MS every week, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The current total of American MS cases is said to be somewhere between 250,000 and 350,000. It would be interesting to analyze the MS onset ages (or at least, the diagnosis ages) of those individuals.

Hey, I’d love to know how many had parents that sent them outdoors to play sports when they were young. And don’t these research findings (if confirmed) beg the question about teens in our video game, virtual reality, and online socialization age and how a sedentary lifestyle might shape the future outlook for yet-undiagnosed MSers?

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Adapted from public domain artwork

MS offers all sorts of vitamin D’s, if you look closely

Multiple sclerosis and vitamin D seem to be interrelated. Certain experts have suggested that vitamin D deficiency may raise a person’s risk of developing MS. Others insist vitamin D can affect MS disease exacerbations and progression, as vitamin D is believed to boost the immune system and provide a host of other health benefits.

Some say proper vitamin D absorption may be an issue for those with multiple sclerosis. MSers always seem to run low on vitamin D, except during those times when we take massive mega-dose prescription levels of it. So something’s not quite right.

The whole vitamin D/MS connection still needs some deeper description and development. But doctors seem pretty convinced that MSers need more frequent testing and higher doses than most other folks. And, whenever tested, most of us routinely receive low results for vitamin D levels, even in midsummer, when we may sport suntans.

OK, that set me to thinking. Although those living with multiple sclerosis may be challenged to achieve and keep appropriate levels of vitamin D in our systems, many do tend to develop high levels of other essential D’s.

A dozen vitamin D’s for MSers

How about these vitamin D’s, which seem to crop up in lots of MS warriors?

1. daring
2. dauntlessness
3. decency
4. decisiveness
5. dedication
6. depth
7. determination
8. devotion
9. diplomacy
10. discernment
11. dreams
12. drive

Who’s feeling better already?

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