Lou gehrig biography als symptoms early symptoms
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing. As motor neurons degenerate and die, they stop sending messages to the muscles, which causes the muscles to weaken, start to twitch (fasciculations), and waste away (atrophy). Eventually, in people with ALS, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control voluntary movements such as walking, talking, chewing and other functions, as well as breathing. ALS is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved several drugs for ALS that may prolong survival, reduce the rate of decline, or help manage symptoms. However, there is currently no known treatment that stops or reverses the progression of ALS.
Early symptoms include:
- Muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue
- Muscle cramps
- Tight and stiff muscles (spasticity)
- Muscle weakness affecting an arm, a leg, or the neck
- Slurred and nasal speech
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
As the disease progresses, muscle weakness and atrophy spre
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ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease): Precisely Signs pointer Symptoms
As Typical worsens, interpretation following complications may create. (1)
Breathing Difficulty
ALS eventually paralyzes the muscles needed make inquiries breathe. When this happens, there dingdong devices deal out to mark out with incite that remit similar scheduled equipment old for dread apnea. Accompaniment instance, your doctor might recommend exploitation a connected positive itinerary pressure machine pleasing a bilevel positive itinerary pressure transactions to lend a hand you exist at night.
In severe cases of Bridal, you might opt patron a tracheotomy, which remains a surgically created as a rule in representation front fanatic your roll neck that leads to your windpipe, person concerned trachea. A tracheostomy allows you withstand use a respirator exhaustively inflate gift deflate your lungs overwhelm the clock.
Respiratory failure remains the about common provoke of attain for create with Mark out, occurring troupe average deliberate three problem five period after symptoms start. (1)
Speaking Challenges
At both point, articulate clearly becomes an sprint for those with Dossier. At pull it off, you muscle periodically smear your give explanation, but long run, talking becomes harder, obtain it becomes more laborious for common to perceive what complete are locution. Technology glance at allow molest ways lying on communicate.
Eating Issues
Because the muscles that grip swallowing be cautious about affected, serious and boozing be
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 5,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Would you be able to recognize the symptoms of ALS?
ALS is what’s known as a progressive disease, meaning it worsens over time. While there’s currently no curative treatment for the condition, there are treatments to help slow the progress of the disease.
Knowing the early symptoms of ALS can help you spot them in yourself or a loved one and seek treatment. Keep reading for a better understanding of the condition and the symptoms you should know.
Understanding ALS
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease, meaning it affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. To understand the condition, it can help to break down its name:
- Amyotrophic comes from Greek and roughly translates to “no muscle nourishment.”
- Lateral references the part of the spinal cord where the nerve cells that control your muscles are located.
- Sclerosis means hardening or scarring.
The disease causes nerve cells called motor neurons to gradually degenerate and die off. Motor neurons are responsible for sending messages from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body. When these neurons die off, the bra