MS Risk Up in Teens Who Work Nights

[Tania B]

"Teens who are employed in shift work are at increased risk for developing multiple sclerosis (MS), possibly because of sleep loss and the resulting negative effects on circadian rhythm, Swedish researchers found."

 

A Swedish study found that performing shift work before the age of 20 nearly doubled the risk for multiple sclerosis.

 

My Teens who work nights

 

Take a look!

[Nick]

This aspect interests me greatly.

 

From the age of around 17 I always worked at sea until forced to give up in 2008 (thanks to MS) During all that time I always worked 'shift patterns' (We call those 'watches' at sea)

Towards the end of my career I was involved in various academic studies regarding 'fatigue at sea'. This had become a bigger and bigger problem in that industry. Over the last ten years of working I did 6 hour shifts back to back making an 84 hour week. Industry generally is only just starting to recognise the health dangers associated with these long hours and in particular night working.

 

I feel now that any shift work pattern is indeed potentially dangerous if you are 'suseptible' to MS (Well I would say that wouldn't I!) The other interesting fact about myself is the amount of time I spent away from direct sunlight in the last 5 years before my diagnosis at the age of 53 ( I now know that I had un-diagnosed MS at age 43) The reason for this lack of sunlight was my working in high latitudes such as northern Norway. It's self another place that has high levels of MS.

 

Had I known about this and understood the dangers back in 1998 I could theoretically have done something to mitigate the full impact (I know It would never have happened) Anyway this would indicate that having an early diagnosis of MS could be a 'good thing' IF it then enabled that person to avoid things like long shift hours and gave them the chance of maximising the best way for them to live with the condition.

Edited 23 Oct 2011, 4:40 pm by Nick

[Tania B]

Nick,

 

I'm glad that you found the research of interest. It seems as though there are so many parts of the MS puzzle.

 

Why do you think that you had undiagnosed MS adecade before your diagnosis?

[Nick]

Tania,

I had an episode of Optic neuritis 10 years before and then had various symptoms in between where I 'ignored' things ....typical bloke! did'nt want to go to a quack! After the big crash happened we put it all together and I am now pretty sure about things. It makes sense ! My age profile suggests a typical RRMS pattern back at the start going into SPMS which is my present diagnosis ......My neurologists likes to talk about 'grumbling MS' ...it never stops!