What happens when the myelin sheath is damaged?

The significance of how the myelin sheath functions becomes even more apparent in a variety of diseases where defective myelination is the main problem. When myelin sheaths become damaged and lost, this is known as demyelination – one of the primary causes of multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

What does demyelination of the myelin sheath mean?

Degeneration of myelin sheath is also called demyelination. It is a condition involving the nervous system. As mentioned earlier myelin is a covering around the nerve fiber. It acts as a protective layer and it also helps in conduction of nerve impulses.

How are nerves insulated by the myelin sheath?

Many nerves in the body are insulated with myelin sheath. Myelin acts insulates the nerve just like an electrical wire insulated with a material. This enables faster conduction of nerve message to brain from the body parts and vice versa. When the myelin sheath is damaged and degenerated, the process of nerve signals gets hampered or delayed.

What causes a person to lose their myelin?

Myelin damage is a degenerative process that destroys myelin sheats responsible for protecting nerve fibers. It can be caused by viral infections, metabolic issues, oxygen loss, and physical compression and affects the nervous system and peripheral nervous system of a person.T he most common type of this disease is called multiple sclerosis.

What diseases are caused by myelin sheath?

Multiple sclerosis (MS)is an autoimmune disease which is caused by inflammation and damage to the protective sheath that covers the nerves (myelin sheath). It is therefore also known as demyelinating disease. This damage and destruction slows down the impulses traveling along the nerves.

Can myelin repair itself?

In brief: Myelin can heal. Demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis create a situation where the myelin will not heal itself. Traumatized nerves do heal but they only move a few mm a day so it will take time for the nerve ends to meet and repair themselves.

What is the function of the myelin sheath?

Myelin sheaths are sleeves of fatty tissue that protect your nerve cells. These cells are part of your central nervous system, which carries messages back and forth between your brain and the rest of your body.

Can myelin sheaths regenerate?

Under normal circumstances, the myelin sheath can regenerate after damage. However, factors made by the nerve and surrounding cells regulate this regenerative capacity. Our understanding of what these factors are and how they control regeneration and remyelination is still limited.