Is there a cure for this disease?
No, there is not a cure for this disease yet, but doctors are hopeful they will find on soon. Many kind people are putting together fundraisers and charity walks for awareness of this disease. Not having a cure for ALS makes it an even more devistating disease. They can't find a cure for ALS because they don't have a surgery or antibiotic yet that can stop the rapid movement of cancer cells in ALS.
Once diagnosed, how long does it take to kill you?
It takes approxemently 2 to 10 years after diagnosis to ultimately kill you. Sometimes more, and sometimes less. The person diagnosed with ALS will slowly get more and more paralyzed starting from the fingers and toes. Once the disease reaches the voice box, the patient is unable to speek. The person eventually passes away once the disease reaches the heart.
What makes you at risk of getting this disease?
In about 10% of cases, ALS is caused by a genetic defect. In the remaining cases, the cause is unknown. In ALS, nerve cells (neurons) waste away or die, and can no longer send messages to muscles. This eventually leads to muscle weakening, twitching, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and body. The condition slowly gets worse. When the muscles in the chest area stop working, it becomes hard or impossible to breathe on one's own. There are no known risk factors, except for having a family member who has a hereditary form of the disease.
What are the symptoms of ALS?
Some symptoms of ALS are:
-Twitching
-Loss of motor control in hands and feet
-Impaired use of arms and legs
-Weakness and fatiuge
-Tripping and Falling
-Dropping things
-Periods of uncontrolable laughing or crying
-Slurred speech
-Twitching
-Loss of motor control in hands and feet
-Impaired use of arms and legs
-Weakness and fatiuge
-Tripping and Falling
-Dropping things
-Periods of uncontrolable laughing or crying
-Slurred speech
How close are they to finding a cure?
They have not found a cure yet, but are working countless hours a day to find one. People are constantly donating money for the cure and having fundraisers and walks for charity. Professionals say that they could possibly find a cure in the next ten years. That gives a lot of hope to the future of disease-curing medications.
Why is ALS nicknamed Lou Gehrig's Disease?
Lou Gehrig, a fasmous baseball player, was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). He had a famous retirement speech because of the symptoms of ALS affecting his athletic skills. He quoted that he was "the luckiest man alive," and he was thankful for his life and all of the support the fans and his family provided him. ALS is nicknamed Lou Gehrig's disease because of the dedication of him and his fans and fight for the awareness of the disease.