What is Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS?
Lou Gehrig's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) passes through different names in different countries. In the United States, it is named after a baseball player in New York Lou Gehrig, who was diagnosed with this disease at the age of 30. Australians and English call the condition of motor neuron disease (MND). In France, ALS is known as Malaladia de Charcot , derived from Jean-Martin Charcot, the first doctor to write about the problem in 1869.
ALS is a neurological disorder characterized by slow waste or atrophy of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons are nerve cells that transmit signals between the brain and the spinal cord and control the movements of the muscle in the limbs, neck, face and torso. The gradual atrophy and weakening of nerve cells eventually cause muscle control in different parts of the body. Therefore, the aosoba affected with ALS will eventually be able to perform normal actions such as ŽVEye, speaking, walking and even breathing. Nerve cells that allow hearing, sight, touch, smell, taste, thinking, learning and memory are spared the destructive effects of the disease.
ALS can affect anyone, but its occurrence is most common among men aged 40 and 70 years. Cases in the United States fall into two types - family ALS (FALS) and sporadic ALS. Familial ALS is a hereditary condition that occurs as a result of the gene mutation. It forms between 5% and 10% of all ALS cases. The family history of this condition means an increased risk that future generations are affected at a much younger age than usual. Most ALS patients suffer from sporadic ALS . Accidentally this form of attacks and has no known causes or risk factors.
Symptoms and symptoms of ALS are fine at the beginning. The condition begins in one part of the body and gradually spreads to other parts until the whole body is notNot paralyzed. Initial symptoms include weakening of the limbs such as legs and hands, causing clumsy and instability. People with these symptoms usually stumble or fall a lot and often drop things. As the disease progresses, symptoms include muscle twitching and convulsions, leading to terrible fatigue. Finally, paralysis interferes, worsens walking, eating and breathing.
Since there is no medicine for this disorder, patients ALS face life continuous treatment in an effort to delay the progression of the disease and ensure that they are comfortable and independent. Rilutek® is the only medicine approved by food and drug management (FDA) that helps in slowing the effects of ALS. Specialists can also recommend other drugs to reduce muscle cramps and twitching. Other treatments include physical therapies for exercise and Strengtslepice wasted muscles. In addition, speech therapy teaches different techniques that help patients be better understood when they speak.
ALS Association statistics show that 50% of patientsIt lives for at least three years after their disorder is diagnosed. Almost 20% will survive for five or more years, while another 10% live for more than 10 years. In view of these figures, scientists and doctors around the world continue research and development to better understand the ALS to discover more effective treatment.