Symptoms And Treatment Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Essay

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurological disease affecting the nerves that control voluntary muscle movement. It is the most common type of motor neuron disease. The body isn’t able to operate as it normally does due to the muscles weakening overtime. As the disease progresses, it starts to damage nerves of other vital areas of the body. When the body isn’t able to breath the way it should causing respiratory failure and other things start to go wrong, the body has no choice, but to shut down and die. (ALS Association) Lou Gehrig’s disease came into public awareness from a famous New York Yankees baseball player who was forced to retire after developing the disease and died two years later. It was originally discovered in 1869 by a French neurologist named Jean-Martin Charcot. He was the first man to be able to connect motor neurons in the spinal cord to the ALS disease. (Medical News Today) The name Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is derived from Greek origin. Amyotrophic broken down with A meaning no, myo referring to muscles, and trophic meaning nourishment. The three roots equal the meaning of â€Å"no muscle nourishment†. When muscles lose their nourishment, they are not able to stay strong and can withhold their shape. Lateral being the spinal cord and its position to the body and sclerosis is defined as abnormal hardening of body tissue. When body tissue is hardened, it is not able to have newShow MoreRelatedALS Essay1042 Words   |  5 Pagesand the immediate cause of death is respiratory failure, pneumonia, or cardiac arrhythmias (Arbesman, M; Sheard, K). According to Arbesman and Sheard, about ten percent of people with ALS survive ten years or more (Arbesman, M; Sheard, K). Early symptoms of ALS diagnosed individuals include muscle twitches in the upper and lower extremities and in the tongue, muscle cramps, stiff muscles, muscle weakness in the arm, leg , or diaphragm, slurred or nasal speech, difficulty chewing or swallowing (ALSRead MoreEssay on What is Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?1064 Words   |  5 PagesAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis is short for ALS, and is often referred to as â€Å"Lou Gehrig’s disease.† Lou Gehrig was born in New York in June 19, 1903. In April of 1923, Lou Gehrig signed his first contract with the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees for 15 years and lead them to 6 World Series between 1927 and 1938. Gehrig was known as a seven-time all-star champion, for his batting average and was named twice the American Leagues MVP; He later earned the name of the Iron Horse (Lou GehrigRead MoreAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Muscular Atrophy: an Annotated Bibliography1388 Words   |  6 PagesAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Muscular Atrophy: An Annotated Bibliography Abramovitz, Melissa. Lou Gehrigs Disease p17-61. Treatment for ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease has found that Vitamin E and the drug known as Riluzole can help the progression of the disease. When taking the medication Riluzole it has shown to prolong survival in patients by two to three months and it has also delayed the use for breathing support. There is a few side effects to taking Riluzole, such as headache, dizzinessRead MoreOrgan Lateral Sclerosis : A Disease That Affects The Nervous System1578 Words   |  7 PagesAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a disease that affects the Nervous system as well as the Muscular System as well, this disease is defined as a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic is a Greek term when translated it means â€Å"No muscle Nourishment†. This lack of nourishment causes a reaction within the muscles leading to their eventual break down, otherwise known as â€Å"atrophiesà ¢â‚¬  which is a simple term meaning that the muscleRead MoreHenry Louis Gehrig was a popular German-American baseball player. He was most known for several1400 Words   |  6 PagesGehrig was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis when he was 36. Sadly, within two years he had succumbed to the disease. Lou Gehrig was well known in his lifetime as a great baseball player but in his death he has been most noted for his diagnosis of ASL. Before the public announcement of the reasons for his retirement, many Americans had not heard of the disease. Because of this, his name is a trademark of its discovery. Theoretically, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ASL) is a disorder thatRead MoreAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - 11013 Words   |  5 Pagesgenetic disorder called Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a genetic disorder that occurs in the nervous system. Each word in ALS briefly describes what the disorder is. Amyotrophic has two parts to it. The prefix â€Å"amyo† means muscular atrophy. Atrophy means to waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells. The suffix â€Å"trophic† means that it is relating to feeding and nutrition. So to sum it up, amyotrophic means that the musclesRead MoreSpeech Amyotrophic Lateral Disease : Is A Chronic And Terminal Disease That Affects The Lower And Upper Motor Neurons1725 Words   |  7 PagesThis research paper is being written to address Amyotrophic lateral disease (ALS), which is a chronic and terminal disease that affects the lower and upper motor neurons (Srivastava, 2014). ALS is usually fatal within a few years of inception and affects 2-5 per 100,000 people annually worldwide (Donnelly, Grima, Sattler, 2014). This disease usually affects the patient physically and emotionally and as well as their support system. As of this year, no cure has been developed for this disease. TheRead MoreAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis1478 Words   |  6 PagesAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. Jean-Marie Charcot was the first to recognize ALS as a distinct neurological disease with its own unique pathology. In ALS, nerve cells degenerate and deteriorate, and are unable to transmit messages to muscles. In around 90% of the cases of ALS, the cause remains unknown. Studies have concentrated on the responsibility of glutamateRead MoreDestruction Of The Neurons Responsible For Involuntary Muscle Movement1593 Words   |  7 PagesAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative motor disease that results in the destruction of the neurons responsible for involuntary muscle movement (NINDS 2014). Patients are determined to have ALS if they have both upper motor neuron disease and lower motor neuron disease (Gordon 2011). Many people that have been diagnosed with ALS are seen in wheelchairs or if the person is in the early onset of ALS, using other walkingRead MoreThe Consequences Of Mutations1075 Words   |  5 Pagesfewer than 20,000 individuals in the United States each year (Tay-Sachs Causes, 2016). This disease may appear in three different stages of life. In infantile Tay-Sachs, the most common form, symptoms begin appearing at about six months of age (Tay-Sachs Disease, 2012). In juvenile Tay-Sachs, symptoms begin at two to five years of age, and appear in late adolescence or early adulthood in late onset Tay-Sachs (Tay-Sachs Causes, 2016). Tay-Sachs is caused by an insertion mutation on chromosome