Essay On Progressive Systemic Scleroderma

ALS is also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a disease in which the brain, nerves, and spinal cord deteriorate. It attacks every part of the body except the brain. Causing major body malfunction along with muscle weakening. Which includes lack of strength, the ability to move arms, legs and body, eventually you lose the ability to breathe. The average time of life after being diagnosed is two - five years. It was believed to be inherited or maybe an infection. After years of research scientist have found a major

The article titled “The Voices of A.L.S. by Tara Parker-Pope has given me a better insight into A.L.S. In fact, it has made me more aware of it. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, affects parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. Motor neurons, among the largest of all nerve cells, reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body. When these motor neurons die, the brain can no longer start and control muscle movement. At this time there is no cure for the disease; however, over the past few decades, we have made amazing strides in our understanding of the brain, the nervous system, and genetics. Discoveries in each of these areas bring

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal disease, also known as Motor Neurons Disease, Charchot Disease and Lou Gehrig disease. ALS destroys the Central Nervous System (CNS) and causes damage to the upper and lower motor neurons in the brain. Signs and symptoms are characterized as: muscles weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching and reduced muscle reflexes. Eventually the patient will become paralyzed and rely on a tracheostomy and ventilator for breathing (ALS Association [ALSA], 2010).

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a terminal disease that degenerates the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons run from the brain, through the spinal cord, and into the muscles of person; this is what allows a person to have control over voluntary movement. When an individual is diagnosed with ALS, their motor neurons begin to degenerate, thus eradicating their ability to walk, eat, and eventually breathe.

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

ALS, better known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is considered as a complex genetic disorder, in which multiple hereditary and environmental factors combine to cause this disease. This is seen as an illness of parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. In ALS, the motor neurons (nerve cells that control muscle cells) are gradually lost. When these motor neurons turn out to be lost, the muscles they control become weak and ultimately nonfunctional. We see that “amyotrophic” is rooted in Greek origin meaning without nourishment to muscles and refers to the loss of signals nerve cells normally send to muscle cells. “Lateral” simply means to the side and refers to the location of the damage in the spinal cord. “Sclerosis” means hardened and refers to the toughened nature of the spinal cord in advanced ALS. This progressive neurodegenerative disease, that was first discovered 150 years ago, is associated with a life expectancy of approximately three years after symptom onset. In the United States, ALS is also known as Lou Gherig’s Disease, named after the Yankees Baseball player who passed away because of it in 1941. In the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, it’s often referred to as motor neuron disease in reference to the cells that are lost in the disorder (ALS Association, 2015).

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting both the upper and lower motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. It is the most common motor neuron disease in the adult population with a prevalence of two to seven cases per 100,000 individuals. Survival rates in persons with ALS show considerable variation. Five-year survival rates vary from 7% to 40%, whereas 10-year survival rates range from 8% to 16% (cite).

The treatments available are only meant to allay the symptoms of ALS. There are many drugs being studied, including Allopurinol (Zyloprim), Antioxidants (such as Vitamins E, C, and Beta-Carotene), Gabapentin (Neurontin), Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (Myotrophin), and Riluzole (Rilutek), etc. Riluzole was the first to be approved by the FDA. Gabapentin is another drug available in the market and, like Riluzole, it is said to prolong the life of a person with ALS for at least a few months (ALS Association), (Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine). Antioxidants are suggested to be able to protect nerve cells from the damaging effects of toxic free radicals. (Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine) Another drug called Myotrophin, although not in the market yet, two clinical trials have indicated that this drug is safe and one clinical trial indicated that it has an ability to delay the deterioration of muscle tissue in ALS patients by twenty-six percent. The FDA's Peripheral and Central Nervous System (PCNS) Advisory Committee had a consensus about the drug being safe. (Department of Neurology at Baylor College of

One treatment is to take Riluzole which is a drug that slows the progression by reducing levels of glutamate (chemical messenger) in the brain because there is often a high amount of glutamate in people with ALS, but this treatment may not work for everyone. After taking this drug, side effects include dizziness, gastrointestinal conditions, liver function changes, muscle cramps/spasms, spasticity, constipation, fatigue, excessive salivation, excessive phlegm, pain, depression, sleep problems, and even uncontrolled outbursts of crying/laughing. Another treatment would be therapy. Some therapies include breathing therapy to help yourself breathe better when your muscles deteriorate, physical therapy to help your muscles and get necessary braces to prolong independence, occupational therapist to help you modify daily activities so you can stay independent, speech therapy to learn new adaptive ways to speak, nutritional support, and psychological/social support.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological motor neuron disease that slowly enables the body from doing everyday tasks. This disease blocks

As many as 30 thousand Americans are currently living with or have been diagnosed with ALS in the United States. ALS is a life threatening disease that scientists have yet to discover treatments for, but as of right now, ALS can not be treated. ALS can be hard to understand, many wonder how does one get ALS? What are the symptoms ? How is ALS diagnosed? Treatment options, and what is the prognosis of the disease?

Scleroderma, also called Progressive Systemic Sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue disease in which excessive amounts of collagen are rapidly deposited into

Thousands of Americans are diagnosed with Scleroderma every year across the nation. Scleroderma, also known as Systematic Sclerosis, is an over production of collagen in body tissues causing patches of skin to tighten and harden and can harm other structures in the body.

Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a complex, polygenic autoimmune disease that affects approximately 75,000 to 100,000 people in the United States. There are approximately 20 new cases per million per year and a total of 250 patients per million [1, 2]. SSc typically presents at approximately 40 years of age and is more common in women than in men [3]. SSc is a very heterogeneous disease where patients can display a variety of symptoms: the three most common symptoms are tissue and organ fibrosis, vasculopathy and autoimmunity/autoantibody production.

LeRoy EC, et al. Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis): classification, subsets and pathogenesis. J. Rheumatol. 1988; 15: 202–205.