Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Paper

Improved Essays
In the United States the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is sometimes called motor neuron disease. Also known as ALS this disease causes the nerve cells to gradually break down and die. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is known to be a progressive degeneration of the nervous system disease. Which causes muscle weakness and the impact of physical functions. The ALS often begins by the twitching of a leg or arm or the weakening of muscles. In other cases it also begins by the slurring of speech. This disease can’t be cure it eventually leads to death once the muscles stop functioning leading to inability of breathing. Other symptoms include difficulty walking, tripping and weakness in ankles or feet. Muscles cramps and twitching in our tongue and shoulders are also some of the systems of the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease. As the disease begins to massively spread all over the body the muscles become progressively weaker. During the process the person will have difficulty chewing, …show more content…
The severed causes include gene mutation, chemical imbalance, discouraging immune response and protein mishandling. Since there is no way of revitalizing the damage done on the body the only treatment is to focus on the slowing down of the progress. Many people with this condition have a team of doctors that helps them with the improvement of their quality life. ALS involves mental and social issues this is what the team of doctors is required for. Riluzole is the only drug treatment approved from the Food and Drug Administration which will help with ALS. This drug helps to reduce the progress in levels of glutamate that is present in people with higher ALS levels. This drug side effects include gastrointestinal conditions, dizziness and liver dysfunctions. It is estimated that ALS is responsible for nearly two deaths per hundred thousand population

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Lou Gehrig Biography Essay

    • 1561 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Ninety to ninety-five percent of people diagnosed have sporadic ALS, which is the most common form. A person could have no history of health issues, and could still get sporadic ALS. The leftover five to ten percent of cases is Familial, which is inherited by family members. For those who have Familial, a fifty percent chance of passing it to offspring is at risk. Jean-Martin Charcot, French neurologist, discovered this disease in 1869 (“What is ALS?”).…

    • 1561 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From the easiest thing to do such as to eat as to being able to walk. Most people who develop ALS are between 40 and 70, with an average age of 55. There has been rare cases when people have been diagnosed in their 20s and 30s. But approximately 6,400 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each year. Their average life expectation is of 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    ALS cannot be cured and eventually leads to death. Although there is no way to stop the progression of ALS there are many treatments to make the patient more comfortable and possibly slow the progression. This disease progresses over a period of time. It can progress very fast and it can move slowly. One patient, Dale Masterson, has lived with ALS for 25 years.…

    • 1703 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People who tend to get ALS are older, between the age of 40-70, and after being diagnosed they live about 2-5 years. After diagnosed people’s joints become weaker, start having respiratory problems, speech pattern problems, and toxic protein travels from the spinal cord to the brain. Many National Football League(NFL) players are diagnosed with ALS, some start foundations to help out others in need. O.J. Brigance, retired NFL player, was diagnosed with ALS; he started a foundation called Brigance Brigade, to help supply equipment to others with ALS. The equipment he contributes the foundation with, are supplies that will help one to communicate with others, machines that will make it easier for a person to breath, and other technology that is needed to help people with ALS.…

    • 1330 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    There have been concentrated cases in football players, both American and European kind of United States players, Italian players, and English players. Scientists believe that ALS is caused by a combination of external and genetic factors, but external factors have not yet been…

    • 1511 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Visualize a disease that leaves its victims powerless but are completely aware of everything that is in sight and the state the body is in. With every intention to move, the victim has no control over the body’s muscles, for not a single finger is lifted nor a smile displayed. Such a disease does exist and has affected many lives worldwide. This awful illness is named ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. With many diseases in the world, countless terrible ones are unknown like CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is also a progressive neurodegenerative disease.…

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cte Crisis In Sports

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages

    CTE Crisis Today, people begin to question sports regulations due to a massive discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis being found in the majority of athletes. As a whole, people are not seeing the true effects of athletes are struggling through. When one football game is over, fans continue into the next week and expect the same CTE-ridden athletes to endanger their life. However, this has been a national crisis we all have been blinded to for years. Changing the regulations of the game for the greater good is necessary and needs to happen quickly.…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    An anatomical change that multiple sclerosis has on the nervous system is cause the patient to have muscle spasms. Patients with this condition will most likely encounter this debilitating symptom. Spasticity can be caused by either deterioration of the axons or impairment of demyelinating plaques on the descending motor pathways (De Sa et al., 2011). In addition to that, increased muscle tone and decreased muscle dexterity are observed from this change (Boissya and A Cohen, 2015). Muscle spasms can reduce the patient's ability perform daily activities which can decrease life expectancy and quality of life.…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Muscles get absolutely no nourishment and begin to deteriorate. ALS symptoms include muscle stiffness, trouble with coordination, fatigue, paralysis, and difficulty swallowing. Symptoms vary from person to person and progress differently. Multiple tests are done for proper diagnosis since there is yet to be a 100% accurate test. ALS can be slowed down but has no cure and may last for years or for life.…

    • 1176 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Social workers as home care and hospice nurses help patients, families, and caregivers with the medical, emotional, and financial challenges of coping with ALS, particularly during the final stages of the disease” (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). ALS patients have social workers who come in and help the family, caregivers, and patient so the patient can be emotionally, mentally, and try to be physically stable when being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. “Respiratory therapists can help caregivers with tasks such as operating and maintaining respirators” (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Respiratory therapists are provided for a patient with ALS so that the patient is able to maintain and keep the respirator clean. “Occupational therapists can suggest devices such as ramps, braces, walkers, and wheelchairs that help…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    My first topic on Spinal muscular atrophy affects 1 in 6,000 to 1 in 10,000 people. In 1898, described for the first time the classic infantile form of SMA. In this essay I will be discussing spinal muscular atrophy and its characteristics. I will discuss signs and symptoms as well as some treatments for the disorder. Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic disorder that affects the control of muscle movement.…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    ALS Argumentative Essay

    • 1649 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Imagine having the desire to accomplish dreams such as running a marathon or climbing the tallest mountain but being unable to because of a terminal disease that leaves the body incapable. While some diseases are easily cured, others require harsh treatments that have unknown outcomes and the worst of those diseases are incurable. Two such incurable diseases are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy(CTE). ALS is a progressive degenerative disease that affects one's entire body, leaving it paralyzed while the brain stays completely able to function. ALS is caused by toxic proteins that leak to the spin and is found mainly in athletes.…

    • 1649 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Multiple sclerosis is a standout amongst the most misjudged illnesses of this century. Since its disclosure, there are still no known reasons, no demonstrated medicines, and no known cure, yet it influences conceivably five hundred thousand individuals in the United States alone. Individuals need to take in more about this infection so it can be conveyed to the country's consideration. Different Sclerosis is a focal's ailment sensory system. It pulverizes the greasy myelin sheath that protects your nerve cells.…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Chronic diseases can be quite debilitating. A chronic disease is a disease that is long-lasting and can be treated but not cured (Chronic Disease, n.d.). This means that, although the symptoms of the disease may be managed, it will never go away completely. Multiple sclerosis is one of these treatable but incurable diseases. Even with treatment, a person diagnosed with multiple sclerosis will always experience some degree of disability.…

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    ALS is an incurable and fatal disease that causes gradual muscle weakness and paralysis that begins between the ages of 40 and 70, and leaves its victims with 2 to 5 years to live. (Nettina, 2014) According to Nettina (2014), the cause of ALS is unknown, but what is known, is that ALS, “Results in progressive loss of voluntary muscle contraction and functional capacity, involving the legs, feet, arms, and hands, and those that control swallowing and breathing.” Although ALS debilitates the body, it does not harm the…

    • 2293 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Superior Essays