Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis Research Paper

Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that effects people’s muscles in there middle years. It affects thousands of people each year and so far there is no cure. Even though there’s no cure for the disease patients usually survive 5-7 years after being diagnosed with the disease before later dying from the disease. Without a cure the disease will continue to affect and kill thousands of people each and every year. Even if you’re a really active person you still have a chance of getting the disease and it will force you over a period of a couple years to not be able to do anything that you once could do. If you survive long enough the disease will even cause you not to be able to breathe on your own. Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis (ALS) was first discovered clear back in 1869. However it wasn’t until 1939 that professional baseball player Lou Gehrig brought attention to the disease after he was diagnosed with it. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. The nerves that carry feelings of pressure, pain, hot, cold or even being tickled are not damaged by the disease. However in some people the
parts of the brain that allows us to think, remember and learn can be affected. In the later stages of the disease patients may become totally paralyzed. Most people will develop the disease between ages 40-70 even though its rare children can be diagnosed with the disease. Over time the progressive degeneration of neurons in patients will eventually lead to their death. However patients that are at an advanced stage of ALS can still smell, hear, see, and feel touch. ALS is not known to be a geometrically linked disease, and occurs in people with no family history of the disease. It is normal for family members to feel overwhelmed, sad, or upset if a loved one has the disease.
So far there is no way to prevent the disease completely. However there is numbers of treatments for people with the disease. Some medicines can control symptoms, like muscle cramping and difficulty swallowing, and some drugs can slow down the spread of the disease. Physical therapy can also help people deal with muscle loss and breathing problems. Some special equipment can be provided when it becomes necessary. One thing that can help would be a power wheelchair which can enable a paralyzed person with the disease to get around on his or her own. Also, patients that are having trouble breathing can get a ventilator to help them. Also, if needed a nurse or other health assistants can come to a patient’s house and help them with needs they may have. Sometimes just having support from family and friends could be the best cure for someone with the disease. Scientists have been searching for a cure for over a hundred years now.
When first diagnosed with the disease the patient may just experience mild muscle problems.
Neurons transmit messages from your brain and spinal cord to your voluntary muscles. Some people may experience problems in muscles they can move like their arms and legs some of the side effects are; trouble walking or running, trouble writing, speech problems. ALS usually doesn’t affect a person’s mind or intelligence. Patients maintain control of eye muscles, bladder and bowel functions. However eventually patients will lose all of their strength and will not be able to move, and the muscles in their chest will fail and they will not be able to breath without assistance. Rarely patients will live long enough for the disease to run its full course, but if the patient does live long enough they may experience
paralysis.
ALS is a very dangerous disease with no cure and no way of knowing who or when someone will be diagnosed with the disease. ALS is not contagious and it doesn’t run in a family’s history. So even if there’s no history in a family of ALS they could still get the disease, and once someone gets the disease there is no way of completely curing the disease. There is really no cure in site because scientists have been looking for a cure for over 100 years now with no real success. There is however a drug that may prolong the disease, but not prevent the disease in general. As for once you get the disease there’s a few treatments that may prolong the disease.