Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease is a disease. This disease attacks nerve cells and pathways leading to the brain and spinal cord. The nerve cells that are attacked control the muscle function that controls the body, and therefore also all motor functions. When these cells are attacked they begin to die, as a result the muscles in the body begin to weaken and cause difficulty in speaking, swallowing and breathing. This disease can also cause breathing to stop. It is a rare disease that affects only 20,000 to 30,000 people in the United States. However, it is the most common motor disease among adults. Approximately 5,000 people are diagnosed with this disease each year. It is normal for it to occur in people between the ages of 40 and 60, but there are some causes why people suffer from it when they are younger. Men are more likely to get this disease than women. There is a 5-10% chance that this disease may be hereditary. If a parent has ALS there is a 50% chance that the child will contract this disease. They also found that some places have a lower rate of people with ALS, these countries include Mexico, Poland and Italy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The lives of people with ALS have improved a bit with the new teacher that has been found out about it, but this is still difficult for families and individuals. Today, approximately 10% of patients live more than ten years after diagnosis. Twenty live to five years and more. So fifty percent of pantions live three years or more. However, 80% of patients die between two and five years after diagnosis. No one knows for sure how it caused ALS and who can be expected to get ALS. In most cases, 90 to 95 percent of them have no known cause. Some teachers are looking into several things that they believe may be causing ALS. It is believed to be a genetic mutation. They found that various genetic mutations can lead to hereditary ALS. This causes almost the same symptoms as the non-hereditary form. Then there are the chemical imbalances they are looking at, people with ALS generally have higher levels of glutamate. Glutamate is a chemical messenger in the brain and is found around nerve cells in the spinal fluid. Too much of the chemical can be toxic to some nerve cells. They are also looking at the disorganized immune response. This is when an individual immune system claims to eat its own normal cells. This way the body can start killing its own cell and may even kill itself. In the evening I look at protein mismanagement. Mismanaged proteins within nerve cells can lead to abnormal shapes of proteins in these cells. Doing so can cause the destruction of nerve cells. They are also looking at smoking, exposure to environmental toxins and people who serve in the military. The diagnostic process for ALS is complicated. There is no one test or procedure used to diagnose ALS. It can take up to a year or more to be diagnosed with ALS. Laboratory tests on ALS will be performed for diagnosis. This includes performing blood, union, and thyroid function tests. Another thing that is used is muscle biopsy and/or never. This is where a piece of tissue is removed from a living body and examined to see if there is anything unusual. A lumbar puncture can also be performed. This is the moment inwhich the fluid in the spinal cord is assessed by taking some of that fluid from the spain. X-rays, MRIs, and electrodiagnostic tests could and most likely could be done to look at the muscles as well. The signs and symptoms of ALS. The first symptoms of this disease may go unnoticed. However, as time passes the symptoms worsen. Cells begin to die, muscles begin to weaken, and muscle control may stop working. Arms and legs are usually the first to be affected. Those who start to become weaker and those who indulge in this disease may not be able to support their weight evasively and are unable to move their arms. Your arm, shoulder, and tongue may twitch and cramp. The feet and ankle may begin to feel less controlled and unable to support their own weight. Breathing may become short and weak. The individual may need help with the more advanced sibling affected by this disease. They may have difficulty swallowing and may also aspirate or inhale food and saliva into their lungs and choke. Most of these people with ALS suffer from respiratory failure. Someone with ALS can become paralyzed and may not be able to speak. However, ALS does not normally affect the five senses. Which means seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching along with the ability to think. There are different types of ALS and each type has its own symptoms which can be very different. One of the most common forms of classic ALS, this ALS affects the cells of the upper and lower motor neurons. It affects more than two-thirds of people with ALS. Primary lateral sclerosis, also known as PLS, is a type of ALS. It is also the rarest of all types. Higher neurons are affected first. The lower neurons may not be affected for another 2 years, but it normally affects the upper neurons more. Progressive bulbar palsy, also known as PBP. This type of ALS begins to affect spanking, chewing, and clawing first due to deterioration of the lower motor neurons. About a quarter of people with ALS will develop this type of ALS. Progressive Muscle Atrophy also known as PMA. In this type of disease the lower motor neurons are affected first and in about two years the upper neurons may be affected or not affected at all. This type normally remains in the lower nerone. The last known type is Familiar. It is an inherited form of ALS that can affect 5 to 10 percent of people in the United States. There are fifty chances that if a parent has this disease, it can be passed on to their children. There isn't much treatment. There is no cure for this disease. There is a drug that adds three or two months to someone's life, yet all the symptoms are still present. They may also take other medications, but this is to help cope with physical pain or mental health. People with ALS can develop depression and have panic attacks. They can undergo physical therapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation therapy. This is to try to help prevent the joints from throbbing and to try to slow down the weakness and anatomy of the muscles. Living with ALS can become very difficult for that individual and the people around them. Depending on the type of ALS you have, it can have different effects. For those who need help breathing, they may need a ventilation machine. They may also have an aneurysm diaphragm pacing system implanted that helps the diaphragm move so the individual can breathe. There are also other things that can be useful to helpbreathe better. Continuous positive airway pressure, bi-level positive airway pressure, and tracheotomy are also other things that can help people who need help breathing. When people begin to lose the ability to speak, they must rely on technology and/or other people to communicate for them. There may also be eating difficulties. These people may require special cups and/or silver to eat and drink with. They may need a feeding tube or even be on a special diet so they can eat. The cost of this disease can be very high. Health care, necessary equipment, and even home health care can be expensive. It is important to review health plan coverage and other programs an individual may be eligible for to help pay the costs. Some of the things someone can look into are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs disability benefits. As more and more people are learning about ALS, more is being done to understand this disease and prevent it from impacting people's lives. . One group that is doing more for this disease is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, or NINDS for short. They are the leading advocate of biomedical interventions in the world that affect the brain and nervous system. They are watching the development and progress of this disease. They are also trying to understand which people may be affected by ALS. They are looking into several things that they believe may be the causes. One of these theses concerns cellular defects. These scientists are trying to understand how ALS causes genetic mutation and why this happens. They are trying to understand how they mutate and cause the destruction of neurons. To do this they are using models to test this theory that include fruit flies, zebrafish and rodents. They found that, depending on the affected gene, it affects a certain motor movement. They also discovered that in case of mutation the motor neurons die and the cell's defenses die because of this. Something they discovered is that RNA molecules are affected during protein processing and recycling. They also found that some nerve cells can become inflamed and this may also play an important role in why nerve cells die. They are also looking for stem cells. The saints would take the blood and/or skin of an individual with ALS and turn them into stem cells. In this way the cells can become any type of cell in the individual's body, including motor cells. This can replace the mutated cells. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay ALS has affected the lives of many people, one person was Lou Gehrig. Which disease may also be known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was a famous baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 36. He played for the New York Yankees as a first baseman. He had a record that had stood for 60 years. They were the most played baseball games in a row. Because of this record he was known as the name Iron. He had to retire in 1939 and died in 1941 due to illness. Another person affected by this disease was Stephen Hawking. He is the longest-living person to ever live with this disease. Against all odds he lived more than 40 years with ALS and is still alive. He was diagnosed at age 21 and told he would die before his 25th birthday. He is now 76 years old. He is a scientist and is known as one of the smartest men, 539(7628), 197-206.