Aspen Daugherty Dr. Ward English 2 6 November 2014 Understanding ALS Often many people think during the hard times life is bad, but they never know what someone else is going through. Lou Gehrig, who had an awful disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis aka ALS, wrote a speech about his disease. ALS is a devastating motor neuron disease, which even with the treatment is painful to the patient. First, what is ALS? Second, what causes ALS? Next, what are the symptoms? Further next, how does a person get diagnosed and how does it progress? And finally, what is the treatment for ALS? First of all, let’s start out with what is ALS? According to Webster’s medical dictionary, ALS is “a classic motor neuron disease” (Definition of “ALS”). A classic motor disease is a type of chronic disease from the nerves that are from the spine. The spinal cord is the main thing that supplies electrical stimulation to the muscles. It’s what causes us to move around, sit, stand, etc. Medicine Net says that, “Motor neuron …show more content…
ALS is diagnosed by doctors according to the symptoms displayed. “No one’s test can provide a definitive diagnosis of ALS, although the presence of upper and lower motor neuron signs is strongly suggestive” (“Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders”). ALS also takes place when certain cells in the brain and spine that controls the moment that gradually degenerates. Because of the loss of the motor neurons it causes muscles to weaken and disintegrate away, building up to being paralyzed. The cause of this process is still not found. Medicine Net quotes that, “ALS occurs when specific nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movement gradually degenerate. The loss of these motor neurons causes the muscles under their control to weaken and waste away, leading to paralysis. The cause of this disease process is still unknown” (Definition of
It is truly remarkable how Randy Pausch and Morrie Schwartz stories are so similar but yet so different. They both seem to have an outlook on life in a positive way, not sad or demeaning. The only crippling difference is the fact that Morrie was at the age that wasn’t abnormal to be sick and Randy was just dealt the cards for a short life. One of Professor Randy Pausch’s many quotes during The Last Lecture makes a similar point between his experience and Morrie’s when he says, “…it’s hard to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer – people who get it don’t live long enough.” ALS is such a rehabilitating disease that scientist have issues pinpointing the causes to even get close to a cure, which didn’t hinder either of their strive to keep going as far as they could.
On December 1, 2012, a patient by the name of John Dough walks into the medical assistant’s office. The patient is five foot 11 inches tall, currently he is 70 years old and weighs approximately 211 pounds. The patient has no known allergies does not smoke and has a relatively clean health record. After filling out the patient medical history forms, the patient is seen by the doctor. The patient explains to the doctor that lately he has had trouble lifting object he would not normally have trouble with, as well as walking short distances, and being very fatigued. After further examination the patient explains how he recently found a tick on his back and removed it, but now there is a red bullseye on his back. The physician suggests a blood sample be taken and sent to the laboratory. To help with weakness and fatigue he recommends the patient to get a good nights sleep and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. He also wants the patient to limit medication intake that could contribute to fatigue such as cold and allergy medicines and make sure to finish all daily exercising three to four hours before bed. The patient schedules a check up two weeks later.
It was not until 1995, when he was dying from ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, that Morrie ended his career as a professor. A fatal neuromuscular disease, ALS is characterized by progressive muscle debilitation that ultimately results in paralysis. ALS is commonly known as Lou Gherig's disease, after the famous baseball player who died of the disease in 1941 at the age of forty. Mitch Albom recalls his graduation from Brandeis University in the spring of 1979. After he has received his diploma, Mitch approaches his favorite professor, Morrie Schwartz, and presents him with a monogrammed briefcase.
There is no cure for ALS at this time and treatment is focused on management of the symptoms, involving a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech, respiratory, and nutritional therapies. Moderate exercise may help maintain muscle strength and function. Drugs can also treat excessive saliva and drooling, and speech therapy can help compensate for loss of muscular control of the mouth. As the disease progresses and muscular degeneration spreads throughout the body, various devices may provide support, such as ankle braces, neck collars, reclining chairs, wheelchairs, and hospital beds. Respiratory support and feeding tubes are required when the person loses cont...
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS, is a disease that can alter the daily life of a human in monumental and unending ways. In one of her articles about ALS, Caroline Ingre (2015) states that the disease is a “fatal neurodegenerative disorder” and further supports this by noting how the disease is marked by the degeneration in motor neurons in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord (p. 181). This basically means that
According to ALS Association (2016, para. 1), “Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis eventually leads to their demise.” When our motor neurons die, our brain can no longer control our muscle movement. The survival time for a person living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is up to ten years because eventually a person’s body will shut down completely. According to the Mayo Clinic (2016, para. 2), “As the disease advances and nerve cells are destroyed, your muscles progressively weaken. This eventually affects chewing, swallowing, speaking and breathing.” This disease is very scary to live with because you eventually die from
ALS is led to mean no muscle nourishment. When a muscle has no nourishment, it atrophies or wastes away hence the name. In addition to this, lateral shows the areas in a person's spinal cord where part of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates, it leads to scarring or hardening (sclerosis) in this particular region.
Goldmann, David R., and David A. Horowitz. American College of Physicians Home Medical Guide to Parkinson's Disease. New York: Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2000. Print.
ALS is a degeneration of motor neurons that move from the brain and down the
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is also referred to as a motor neuron disorder (MND), as it is characterized by the continual degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. These motor neurons, as previously stated, are responsible for voluntary muscles in the body, and as the neurons degenerate, or die, the neurons are unable to send messages to the muscles. When muscles can no longer receive signals, they become unable to function, and in turn, weaken and waste away. Eventually, the brain loses its ability to start and control voluntary movement, resulting in paralysis.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a degenerative disease affecting the human nervous system. It is a deadly disease that cripples and kills its victims due to a breakdown in the body’s motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells in the brainstem and spinal cord that control muscle contractions. In ALS, these neurons deteriorate to a point that all movement, including breathing, halts. Muscle weakness first develops in the muscles of body parts distant from the brain, such as the hands, and subsequently spreads through other muscle groups closer to the brain. Such early symptoms as this, however, can hardly be noticed.
The overview definition of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is defined in the Medical Dictionary for Allied Health as a “progressive degenerative disease of the lateral columns of the spinal cord leading to weakness paralysis and death (Breskin, 2008).” This definition is brief but by looking at this one helps to better define the disease, which follows. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig disease the progressive destruction is of the motor neuron this results in muscular atrophy. The nerve cells effected are from the brain to the spinal cord and the spinal cord to the peripheral these are the nerves that control muscle movement. ALS affects muscles that are controlled by conscious thought, this includes arms, legs, and trunk muscles. ALS leaves sensation, thought processes, the heart muscle, digestive system, bladder, and other internal organs unaffected.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ASL), Lou Gehrig’s disease, a brutal, unforgiving illness of the neurological system with no known cure.
condition that can develop in people of all ages and gender. Keep in mind that autism is not infectious. It can either be chronic* or acute** based on when your child is first diagnosed and how much they have progress is their
This is a neurodegenerative disease, meaning it results in progressive loss or death of neurons. It often starts off with effecting simple motor skills like writing and holding things, after a few months usually patients start losing the ability to walk, talk, or move any of their limbs. Although the brain trauma is what causes it, ALS has little-no-effect on the brain. This fatal disease is typically diagnosed around age 60 and most patients are given about 3-5 years to live after being diagnosed. It has been found that 10% of cases are shown as genetic. It was brought to attention that athletes were beginning to get diagnosed with ALS at a younger age than most. After extensive research in the early 2000’s, Brain Analyst, Dr. Mckee ran tests and finally came to the conclusion that the toxic proteins in the brains of ALS patients were coming from repeated blows to the head. It was then made evident why so many athletes in contact sports such as football, soccer, boxing, etc… were being diagnosed at such a young age and more frequently than