Lou Gehrig's Disease: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that affects the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brain. Due to degeneration or destruction of the motor neurons, muscles throughout the body begin to become weak and waste away to the point that an individual has no muscle movement. In most cases, due to having muscle strength, a patient with ALS will succumb to their disease because of respiratory failure or dehydration and malnutrition. It is a progressive disease with a prognosis of 3 to 5 years after initial diagnosis. There is no cure for the disease as of now. This paper will discuss a more in depth look into the symptoms, diagnosis process, treatment options, medications, prognosis, and ongoing research.
What

Lou Gehrig was a professional baseball player. Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees from 1925 to 1939. Lou Gehrig was given the nickname “Iron Horse” for his consecutive game streak and also due to playing through such injuries as a broken thumb, a broken toe, and back spasms. In 1938, Gehrig batting average fell below a point three hundred average and so he began noticing a lack of his usual strength. During the beginning of the 1939 baseball season, he only managed to play eight games before he began to really feel like something was wrong due to getting fatigued very easily. Shortly thereafter, Gehrig went to the Mayo Clinic, where he would be diagnosed by doctors with ALS. Lou Gehrig would retire shortly after his diagnosis in June of 1939 and would later pass away due to complications with ALS on June 2nd, 1941. ALS grew in a national awareness during this time frame due to Lou Gehrig being a national celebrity and his advocacy for people suffering with this

The overall prevalence of ALS in the United States has been estimated to be between one and two cases per 100,000 people. The overall prevalence worldwide is estimated to be between four and ten per 100,000 people. Even though ALS can occur at any particular age, the most common age at onset is the mid-to-late 50s. Men are affected slightly more than women, according to most studies, by a ratio of five to three. The vast majority of patients with ALS have no prior family history of the disease. Around 75% of individuals develop limb-onset ALS, with initial involvement occurs in the upper and lower extremities. The other 25% develop bulbar-onset ALS, with initial involvement occurring in the bulbar muscles. The bulbar muscles are considered to be the muscles of the mouth and throat that are responsible for speech and swallowing. Bulbar-onset ALS is more common in middle-aged women with the prevalent beginning stage symptoms being difficulty swallowing, chewing and