History: Jean- Marie Charcot, a French neurologist named "the father of neurology" "noted the first reports of the characteristics of ALS in 1874"(NSTA.org). Lou Gehrig, a Yankees Baseball player was one of the first people to be diagnosed with ALS in 1939. At this time doctors knew very little about the disease and thought a treatments could be Vitamin E. Drs. Scarmeas, Shih, Stern, Ottoman, and Rowland recently had an article published saying that "subjects with motor neuron diseases were more likely to be slim, or had once been serious athletes"(NSTA.org).
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Symptoms:
Life Expectancy:
The quality of life for patients with ALS is not the best, in most cases involving complete paralysis or loss of control of muscles, difficulty breathing, swallowing and speaking. In most cases of ALS patients will develop eating problems, speaking problems breathing problems, and dementia. The Average life expectancy of a person with ALS is about 2-5 years after being diagnosed, but in some cases people will live for more than 5 years after diagnosis. |
Treatments:
Because there is no direct cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, treatments focus on slowing the progression of symptoms, preventing unnecessary complications and making you more comfortable and independent. Medications: Riluzole(Rilutek) is the only medication approved by the FDA for ALS. The drug slows the progression of the disease in some people by reducing levels of Glutamate, a chemical messenger in the brain that's higher in people with ALS. Doctors also prescribe medications to help the following:
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Diagnosis:
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