By Ed Lash
Two possible side-effects of having a chronic disease like multiple sclerosis (MS) are depression and osteoporosis. Each of these, believe it or not, can be mitigated by adequate exposure to sunshine.
Recent Canadian research suggests that natural sunshine may help depression and benefit the immune system. Studying 568 people hospitalized with an initial heart attack, those assigned to sunny rooms went home sooner than those in dimmer rooms. Study researcher Kathleen M. Beauchemin, PhD, of the University of Alberta, Canada, says, “We think sunshine’s positive effect is indirect. When you’re exposed to sunshine, it lifts your mood and makes you less vulnerable to depression. And, of course, depression can only make an illness worse.”
Beauchemin is not talking about being in direct sunshine necessarily, or getting sunburn, since reflected sunshine, or sunlight, is quite beneficial as well. In addition, too much direct sunshine has negative effects for people with MS, specially if a rise in body temperature occurs. This is most likely to occur in spring and summer or even in a warm room in winter. In fall and winter, direct sunlight is least harmful and most beneficial due to the fact that it does not get too hot to be in it, is not around too long, and is the time of year when we most likely are not getting enough of its benefits.
Depression is an emotional state in which there are extreme feelings of sadness, dejection, lack of worth, lack of motivation, fatigue, failure to concentrate, and so forth. The causes of depression can be hereditary, drug-related, or the result of nervous system diseases like MS. In many cases, medical attention may be required, but that doesn’t mean that sunshine can’t be utilized on a self-help basis to assist the medication.
In addition, the evidence is that sunshine may also be beneficial to prevent osteoporosis, which may cause pain, especially in the lower back, and cause bones to become thin and break easily. Both men and women, who are inactive or who take steroids frequently are vulnerable and it also affects some women who have gone through menopause.
For prevention of osteoporosis and depression, it is recommended to eat a proper, varied diet, with sufficient vitamin D and calcium, in addition to regular, moderate exercise. Vitamin D and calcium are present in many natural foods in small amounts, especially in milk and dairy products. Vitamin D is also available with exposure to sunlight, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the sunshine vitamin.
Caution: Without the advice of your doctor, don’t take vitamin D in tablet form other than simple, common, one-a-day multivitamins. Many people with MS have learned, or should be aware of the fact, that too much vitamin B6 can cause nerve damage and produce MS-like symptoms. But an overdose of vitamin D in tablet form is even worse, potentially causing liver damage, loss of appetite, vomiting, and headache. But you needn’t fear overdose with D, B6, or any vitamins by taking a simple, common one-a-day multivitamin each day, plus getting vitamins from a normal, healthy diet—with additional vitamin D from exposure to sunlight.
Note: Self -help is not intended to replace medical treatment but should be used together with the help of appropriate professionals in a team effort.
Ed Lash is a United Spinal member who lives in Trumbull, Connecticut. This essay is adapted from his book, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, Self-help . . . .A Patient’s View (Vantage Press 2001), which is available for $16 ($13.95 plus $2.05 for S&H) by e-mail from edlash.ms.selfhelp@juno.com, or by phone at 203-445-0118.
