Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Once these symptoms are apparent enough, a clinical diagnosis is the next step of action. There is no one definitive test or procedure to this date to distinguish a clear, formal diagnosis of the disease, making the task nearly impossible. There are many other diseases with some of the same symptoms as ALS, making it that much harder to make a reliable decision on the matter. A series of tests can be done to rule out other diseases from the question, eventually leaving ALS as the only logical diagnosis. Some of the diagnostic exams include a spinal tap, x-rays, including an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), myelogram of cervical spine, muscle and nerve biopsies, and an overall thorough neurological inspection.

In addition, people need to know the symptoms of ALS. In ALS, there is deterioration to a point that all movement, including breathing, stops. Muscle weakness first develops in the muscles, such as the hands, and spreads through other muscles closer to the brain. Such early symptoms as this can hardly be noticed. Early symptoms of ALS are very slight and often overlooked. They begin as simple things such as tripping or dropping things. Twitching or cramping of muscles and fatigue of the arms and legs may soon follow causing difficulty in daily activities such as walking or dressing (ALS Association). In more advanced stages shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing and swallowing show until the body is completely taken over by the disease. Intellect, eye motion, bladder function, and sensation are the only abilities left unharmed by the disease. There are many symptoms for ALS and if any of these symptoms are noticed, that person could have ALS.

It's a brave question because the answers are not very pleasant." When an individual is diagnosed with ALS, they begin a totally new way of life. Surprising, in many cases it can often be difficult to diagnose someone with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. However, with a history of their problems and a few other tools, it is possible. One of the most common ways to diagnose someone with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is by looking at their complications. Some of the most common early signs of ALS are a patient's legs may seem to be heavier than normal or

Imagine you are a 78-year-old man. A beloved professor from Brandeis University. Day by day, take notice of the increased difficulty of breathing, more so than the usual out-of-breath feeling from climbing a flight of stairs. About two or three weeks later, you start to feel muscles in your body cramping up, even while partaking in slight activity. After various testing, your results come back you have ALS, short for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a progressive, chronic nervous system disease that weakens the muscles and nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. With someone who has ALS, their muscles are receiving no nourishment, therefore it withers away. To explain the loss of There are motor neurons that reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal

Although it is rare to get. Doctors don 't know what causes ALS. In about 1 case out of 10, it runs in families. This means that 9 times out of 10, a person with ALS doesn 't have a family member with the disease. ALS has symptoms that may give you a heads up of what’s going to happen. For example weakness in a foot or leg. It doesn’t always start there either. It can begin anywhere like in your hand or even your face. The muscles get smaller and weaker eventually because of the attacked motor neurons. Some symptoms could be repertory problems and trouble swallowing food. But ALS doesn’t cause numbness or loss of feeling. ALS is usually found in older people. Usually white males and non-Hispanics. So I consider myself lucky haha jkjk. Its found in 1/12 people. Currently there 's no way to prevent or cure Lou Gehrig 's disease but a number of treatments are available to people with the disease. Medicines can control symptoms, such as muscle cramping and difficulty swallowing, and other drugs can slow the development of the disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis broken down into pieces; Amyotrophic means without muscle nourishment, lateral refers to the area of the affected brain and spine, and sclerosis means the hardening and degeneration of nerve cells and neurons. The symptoms of this disease vary from person to person which makes the diagnosis of this disease very difficult. One person may experience slurred speech and another might begin to drop things frequently. Other common symptoms

For most people early signs of ALS begins as local atrophy in one part of the body such as a foot, hand, or arm. Usually the weakening starts at the lower motor neurons that are responsible for carrying messages from the spinal cord to the muscles (Miller et al 2004). Some common early symptoms when the disease initially affect the lower motor neurons includes foot slapping or difficulty opening jars

Often times, a person may have ALS and not even be aware of it. This is because some of the symptoms start out as very

The cause of ALS is unknown. No consistent links have been found between ALS and race, ethnicity, or location. Men appear to be more likely to have ALS, and older people between the ages of 40 and 70 have it more

The first signs of symptoms came in 2012, for Michael Tsun’s patient. Yet Michael’s patient had no idea that ALS is currently affecting his body, and during the first 6 months since the first sign of symptoms he has experienced slurred speech, stiff muscles and much more. Dr. Tsun could not do anything but watch the disease slowly take over his patient's life. Dr. Tsun felt so heartbroken that, “Tsun retreated into a shell of denial” (Duffy), according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. His family were the ones that “coaxed him out of the shell” (Duffy) and later Dr.Tsun went to a neurologist to see if the prognosis was true, the diagnosis was right on mark. Now Dr.Tsun cannot do anything for his patient but watch him slowly die. You can now see where

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease that affects motor control and muscle function. Although there are semi-predictable symptoms that will occur as the disease continues, what an individual patient will experience may be highly variable. There are also variants of the disease that affect symptoms and life expectancy.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a neurodegenerative disease associated with the breakdown and loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Voluntary muscle control degenerates until the body eventually loses function. To better understand how ALS works, the medical terminology can first be translated into a more basic understanding. ‘A-’ meaning not, “myo-” meaning muscle, and “-trophic” meaning nourishment or growth [source]. Due to the loss of motor neurons, the muscle loses nourishment and atrophies, or wastes away. “Lateral” means that this condition usually affects only one side of the body and “sclerosis” means hardening and buildup of fibrous (scar) tissue. The disease is progressive and is 100% fatal.

Most people won’t even be affected with ALS until they’re in their late adult years, early senior years. A lot of people go to the doctor with a limp, an odd cough they can’t get rid of, something not out of the ordinary. Most never

The manifestations of ALS are caused by the location of motor neuron death. When upper motor neurons die, the symptoms include problems controlling fine movements, spasms, dysphagia, dysphonia and dysarthria (Porth & Matfin, 2009). “Manifestations of lower motor neuron destruction include fasciculations, weakness, muscle atrophy, and hyporeflexia” (Porth & Matfin, 2009, p. 1284). Patients with early signs of ALS usually complain of feeling weak on one side, which is due to the slowing of electrical impulses to that group of muscles (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010). Since the impulses are slowed, they are not receiving adequate electrical stimulation to move and the person feels weak. As the disease progresses, all the motor neurons die and are not regenerated so, the patient is left paralyzed, losing the ability to speak, swallow and breathe (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010).