Download Lou Gehrig`s Disease

Lou Gehrig's Disease
By: Brittany Harden
What is it?
• ALS is often called Lou Gehrig's disease
after Lou Gehrig, a hall-of-fame baseball
player for the New York Yankees who was
diagnosed with ALS in the 1930s.
• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), is
an fatal neuromuscular disease that can
not be cured. It is caused by progressive
muscle weakness. The disease attacks
nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,
Motor neurons, which control the
movement of voluntary muscles,
deteriorate and eventually die.
This picture shows
the areas that are
affected by the
disease.
Life With Lou Gehrig's
• About half of all people with ALS live at least 3
years after they find out they have the disease.
• 20% live 5 or more years
• As many as 10% will live up to 10 years
• Living with this disease is physically difficult but
it does not affect the mind. Although
communication can be difficult because it affects
the persons breathing and the muscles needed
for speech and arm movement.
Treatment
• Lou Gehrig's disease is not curable and
you can not prevent it but treatments are
available to help people with the disease.
• There are medicines that can control
symptoms, such as muscle cramping and
difficulty swallowing,
• Physical therapy can help people with ALS
with muscle loss and breathing problems..
Research today
• Researchers are trying to find new drugs
that may help slow down the disease or
even cure it.
Symptoms
• Even though the disease is different for every
person the common symptoms are..
• Muscle weakness in the arms and legs.
• Tripping and falling a lot
• Dropping things
• Difficulty speaking, cramping and twitching of the
muscles, uncontrollable laughing or crying
• As it gets worse over time they will have a hard
time eating, swallowing and even breathing
• It may take several months for someone to know
that they even have the disease
Diagnosed?
• An electromyogram or EMG, is a test that
can show if muscles are not working
because of damaged nerves. Other tests
include X-rays, magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), a spinal tap, and blood and
urine tests. Muscle or nerve biopsy.
Contagious? Or Hereditary ?
• 5-10% of people with this disease get it
hereditarily.
• It is not contagious
Cites
• "Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)." KidsHealth - the
Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health.
Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
<http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/als.
html>.
• "Lou Gherig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis - ALS) Topic Overview." WebMD Better Information. Better Health. Web. 13 Apr.
2011.
<http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/amyotrophiclateral-sclerosis-als-topic-overview>.