Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

 ALS is a serious disease that affects the nervous system, and affects the ability to move. He also called the disease if Jerg. The disease attacks the nerve cells that control muscles. These are called neurons motoneurons. When disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, die each motoneurons upper and lower, and stop the transfer of messages to muscles.

 It occurs gradually weakness and atrophy and diminution in the destruction of infected muscle motoneurons. Causes of the disease is unknown; it affects people at random in ninety to ninety-five percent of the cases. And it affects people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Often the disease begins between the ages of forty and sixty. It affects more men than women. There are currently treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; but there are many ongoing research to develop new types of treatments.

The patient must get to know this disease and to its development stages to be able to make informed decisions about his health care. It will help the health care provider to answer any questions specific to this disease.

an introduction

ALS is a serious disease that affects the nervous system and affect the ability to move. He also called the disease if Jerg. There are - for example - some twenty thousand Americans suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, being more than five thousand cases diagnosed each year. It affects disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Often the disease begins between the ages of forty and sixty. It affects more men than women. This educational program helps to understand the disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the options available to deal with it.

 

 Anatomy

Brain and spinal cord called the central nervous system. Constitute the nerves in the body, such as the nerves of the arms, legs, chest, abdomen and pelvis, the peripheral nervous system. The brain is like a very complex computer that processes information from the senses, and then sends commands to the body responds to speak or movement.

 

Called master cells that make up the brain and spinal cord nerve cells or neurons. The neurons are the cells in the brain to think, communicate with each other by sending electrical signals through wires called axons of nerve. Called neurons that control muscle motoneurons, which makes the axons of motor neurons muscles shrink to help us adapt to our environment by talking, walking and chewing and jogging.

 

 Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ALS attacks the motor neurons that control muscles. Convey messages from the motor neurons in the brain, called upper motor neurons, the motor neurons in the spinal cord, called motor neurons bottom, and then passed to the muscles. When disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, die each of the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons, and stop the transfer of messages to muscles.

 

 Symptoms

Symptoms of the disease usually occurs imperceptibly slow. Initially, these symptoms may be misinterpreted as symptoms of other less serious diseases. Symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is caused by motoneurons devastating. The affected muscles and weaken these motoneurons devastating Gradually, the harbor and rise up as a result.

 

 The first symptoms of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in parts of the body in which the motor neurons are damaged first appear. In some cases, the disease affects one leg at first. Patients noted that they are walking or running in an inappropriate way, or they stumble often. Some patients noticed the first symptoms of the disease in their hand or arm.

 

 They may find it difficult to do simple tasks, such as turning off the shirt, in writing or twirl buttons key lock. It notes other patients speech problems. The disease causes a wide range of disabilities. In the end, the brain loses the ability to control voluntary movement. As patients lose their strength and ability to move the arms, legs and body. When muscles fail diaphragm and chest work, the patient is unable to breathe only with the help of special breathing machine.

 

Most people infected with faces lateral sclerosis amyotrophic major respiratory problems within three to five years of the first symptoms. This disease does not affect the personal or intelligence or memory, because it affects not only the motor neurons. The disease does not affect the ability to see or smell or taste or hearing, discrimination or touch. Patients retain muscle lateral sclerosis usually in their ability to muscle the eye and functions of bladder and bowel control.

 

the reasons

The causes of this disease are not known. It affects people at random in ninety to ninety-five percent of the cases. Most patients have no family history of injury amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and family members are the most susceptible to the disease. It seems that the proportion of hereditary transmission is five to ten percent of all cases. The researchers managed to identify a gene associated with some cases of genetic disease, they are trying to find a cure. Some scientists believe that the disease occurs when the immune system attacks the body's neurons, because he misses them and considers strange cells.

 

 Diagnosis

Neurologist usually able to diagnose the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis after reviewing the very detailed medical history of the patient and to examine my bed. Usually difficult to diagnose the disease at an early stage, it may seem as a disease else, such as tumors of the spinal cord, or multiple sclerosis, or nerve impingement. And it becomes easier to be diagnosed with the development of symptoms.

 

 You can diagnose the disease using electrical tests of the muscles and nerves. These tests are called electric striated muscles and speed of neural connections. You can test the spinal fluid extracted through a puncture for spinal fluid rule out other diseases, and confirmation of the disease. And helps MRI and CT imaging (axial tomography) to the exclusion of other diseases is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease that can cause symptoms.

 

the cure

There is no cure for this disease. But the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug for this disease, called Relozul. Scientists believe that a drug Relozul reduces damage to Balasbobat motor, and prolongs the life of patients for several months, especially patients who have difficulty swallowing. It does not reflect the drug Relozul damage to motor neurons.

 

 There are other treatments to ease the symptoms of this disease and improve the quality of patients' lives. To provide these other therapies, collaborating healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, therapists, and social workers and home care professionals. Can health care teams work with patients to develop a plan of medical and physical treatments, a private patient.

 

 They can also provide the patients with equipment to help mobility and feeling comfortable as possible. Sometimes doctors can prescribe medications to relieve fatigue and muscle spasm and excess saliva and phlegm. Medicines are available to help patients who suffer from pain, depression, sleep problems and constipation. Can be for patients who have difficulty in pronunciation can benefit from working with a specialist bands.

 

 It can cure physical equipment or devices, such as ramps and supporting brackets and tools to help walking and wheelchairs, help patients to maintain their independence and their ability to move. When the patient is no longer able to get adequate nutrition from food, you can enter a feeding tube in the stomach. This tube helps to reduce the risk of suffocation. As well as the feeding tube helps to reduce the risk of pneumonia caused by inhaling food and beverages to the lungs.

 

 Feeding tube is painless, it does not prevent patients from eating by mouth. When breathing muscles become weak, it can be used for artificial breathing machine at night to help the patient to breathe during sleep. In the end, the patient may need a special machine to blow air into the lungs and emptying them all the time. This machine called a ventilator. Help social workers and nurses in hospitals and specialists in home health care patients, to meet the medical, emotional and financial challenges, especially during the final stages of the disease.

 

Conclusion

ALS is a very serious disease that affects the nervous system, and affects the body's ability to control voluntary muscles. There are currently no cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but there are several ongoing research to develop new types of treatments. The patient must get to know this disease and to its development stages, to be able to make informed decisions about sponsorship.