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 attacked nerve cells control the muscle function that controls the body, which also means all motor functions. When these cells are attacked, they begin to die, leading to weakening of the body's muscles and difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing. This disease can also make it difficult for people to breathe. It is a rare disease: only 20,000 to 30,000 people in the United States have it. However, it is the most common motor disease in adults. About 5,000 people are diagnosed with this disease each year. It normally occurs in people between the ages of 40 and 60, but there are some causes why people get it when they are younger. Men are more likely to get this disease than women. There is a 5 to 10 percent chance that this condition is hereditary. If a parent has ALS, there is a 50 percent chance their child will contract the disease. They also found that in some places the rate of people with ALS is lower, including Mexico, Poland and Italy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essayThe lives of people with ALS have gotten a little better thanks to the new teacher who found out about it, but this situation is always difficult for families and individuals. Today, about 10 percent of patients live more than ten years after receiving their diagnosis. Twenty live up to five years or more. Then, fifty percent of pantions live three years or more. However, 80 percent of passions die between two and five years after diagnosis. No one knows for sure how ALS is caused and who can get it. In most cases, about 90 to 95 percent of them have no known cause. Some teachers consider different things that they think could be the cause of ALS. It is believed to be a genetic mutation. They discovered that various genetic mutations can lead to hereditary ALS. It causes almost the same symptoms as the non-hereditary form. Next, they look at chemical imbalances. People with ALS generally have higher glutamate levels. Glutamate is a chemical messenger in the brain and is found around nerve cells in the spinal fluid. Too much of this chemical can be toxic to certain nerve cells. They also study the disorganized immune response. This is when an individual immune system declares itself to eat its own normal cells. Thus, the body can begin to kill its cells and can even commit suicide. That evening I looked into poor protein management. Mismanaged proteins in nerve cells can lead to abnormal forms of proteins in those cells. This can cause nerve cells to be destroyed. They are also interested in smoking, exposure to environmental toxins and the military. The procedure for diagnosing ALS is complex. There is no single test or procedure used to diagnose ALS. It can take up to a year or more to be diagnosed with ALS. To diagnose ALS, laboratory tests will be performed. This includes blood, kidney and thyroid tests to be performed. Another thing used is muscle biopsy and/or never. This is where a piece ofTissue is removed from a living body and examined to see if anything is out of the ordinary. A lumbar puncture may also be performed. This is when the fluid in the spinal cord is assessed by removing some of this fluid from the spinal cord. X-rays, MRIs, and electrodiagnostic tests might also be done to examine the muscles. Signs and symptoms of ALS. The first symptoms of this disease may go unnoticed. However, over time, the symptoms worsen. Cells begin to die, muscles begin to weaken, and muscle control may stop working. The arms and legs are usually the first to be affected. The starter becomes weaker and one who suffers from this condition may not be able to maintain their own weight emotionally and cannot move their arms. The arm, shoulder and tongue may tighten and cramp. The feet and ankles may begin to have less control and no longer support weight. Breathing may become short and slow. The individual may need help with his brother later with this illness. They may have difficulty swallowing and may also aspirate or inhale food and saliva into the lungs and choke. Most of these people with ALS have respiratory failure. A person with ALS may become paralyzed and no longer be able to speak. However, ALS does not normally affect all five senses. That is, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching, as well as the ability to think. There are different types of ALS and each type has its own symptoms which can vary greatly. One of the most common ALS in classic ALS, this ALS affects upper and lower motor neuron cells. 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. The upper neurons are affected first. The lower neurons may not be affected until 2 years of age, but it normally affects the upper neurons the most. Progressive bulbar palsy, which I also know as PBP. This type of ALS first begins to affect spanking, chewing, and clawing due to deterioration of the lower motor neurons. About a quarter of people with ALS will have this type of ALS. Progressive muscular atrophy also known as PMA. This type of lower motor neuron is affected first, and in about two years the upper neurons may be affected or not affected at all. This type normally stays in the lower neron. The last known type is Family. It is an inherited form of ALS, which can affect five to ten percent of people in the United States. There is a fifty-fifty chance that if a parent has this disease, it could be passed on to their children. There's not a lot of treatment. There is no cure for this disease. There is a medication that adds three to two months to a person's life, but all the symptoms are still there. They may also take other medications, but it is to help them deal with physical pain or mental health. People with ALS may develop depression and have panic attacks. They may undergo physical therapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation therapy. It's about trying to keep the joints from becoming imbolo and trying to slow down muscle weakness and anatomy. Living with ALS can become very difficult for the person and those around them. Depending on the type of ALS you have, the effects may be different. For those who need help breathing,they may need a ventilation device. They might also have an aneurysm diaphragm stimulation system implanted that helps the diaphragm move so the individual can breathe. There are also other things that can help with breathing. Continuous positive airway pressure, bilevel positive airway pressure, and tracheostomy 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 dietary dicalcification. For these people, they may need special cups and/or money for eating and drinking. They may need a feeding tube or even be on a spectator diet to be able to eat. The cost of this disease can be very high. Health insurance, necessary equipment and even home health care can be expensive. It is important to review health plan coverage and other programs that a person may be eligible for to help pay for costs. Some of the things someone can look into are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs disability benefits. Due to more and more people learning about ALS, more and more efforts are being made to understand this disease and prevent it from affecting people's lives. . A group that is doing more recently for this disease is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or NINDS for short. They are the world's leading advocates for biomedical advances; they are interested in the brain and the nervous system. They study the evolution and progression of this disease. They are also trying to determine which people may be affected by ALS. They look at different causes that they think may be causes. One of these theses concerns cellular defects. These scientists are trying to understand how ALS causes a genetic mutation and why it occurs. They are trying to understand how they mutate and cause the destruction of neurons. To do this, they use models to test this theory, including fruit flies, zebrafish and rodents. They found that depending on the gene affected, it affects a certain motor movement. They also discovered that during a mutation, motor neurons die and the cell's defenses result. What they found is that what is affected is that the RNA molecules are affected by protein processing and recycling. They also discovered that some nerve cells can become inflamed, which may also play an important role in nerve cell death. They are also looking for stem cells. The Saints took the blood and/or skin of a person with ALS and transformed them into stem cells. So the cells can become any type of cell in the native's body, including motor cells. This can replace mutated cells. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a personalized essay. ALS has affected many people, one person being Lou Gehrig. This 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 lasted 60 years. These are the most consecutive baseball games played. Because of this record he was known as, 539(7628), 197-206.