Posted by 
As many as 20,000 Americans have ALS and an estimated 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this disease each year. It most commonly strikes people between the ages of 40 and 60, but younger and older people can also be affected with the disease. So what is ALS and how does this disease affects our body?
ALS or the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is of the most common neuromuscular disease. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It causes atrophy in the whole body causing incapability of the voluntary muscles to work. With the voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stage of this disease may become totally paralyzed.
ALS or also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the famous New York Yankees baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease, results to the patients weakness with a wide range of disabilities. Since it blocks the muscles for sending message, it results to the lost of power to carry out control over the voluntary muscles motility, also it affects the functions of the bladder and muscles of the eye. Another eeffect of the said disease is difficulty in speaking, swallowing and even breathing.
Most people diagnosed with ALS die because of respiratory failure which usually occurs within 3 to 5 years after inception of the symptoms. However 10% of those diagnosed are able to survice for 10 or more years.
Nevertheless two of known people diagnosed with this diseas died just recently. Brig Gen. Thomas R. Mikolajcik, former commander of Charleston Air Force Base died last Saturday April 17 at his home and Former Fairfield Mayor Erick Cook of South Carolina last April 18.
Today, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, British historian Tony Judt, guitar virtuoso Jason Becker, former NFL player O.J. Brigance, and bass virtuoso Mike Porcaro are among the best-known living ALS patients.
The cause of the said disease has not yet been completely understood, so scientific researchers continuously study this disease to fully understand its nature. So for now, no cure or treatment is available to halt or reverse ALS, however FDA had 1 apporved drug the Riluzole, which can reduce damage to motor neurons by the release of glutumate.
You might also like
 |
 |
 |
 |
