Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Most of us, of course, have heard about the disease of Moamen Zakaria, but we do not know what this disease is, what symptoms, causes, and how to treat it. fff

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a type of motor neuron disease. It refers to a group of progressive, neurological diseases that cause dysfunction in the nerves that control muscle movement. It is a rare disease that affects 1 in 100,000 people

ALS is the most common type of motor neuron disease (MND). It is sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous baseball player who had the condition

The causes

The causes of the disease are unknown, and only about 10% of the infections are due to genetic causes. Among the possible causes of the disease may include advanced age and the resulting weakness of the body's muscles and nerves, smoking, exposure to
environmental toxins, great muscular effort beyond the body's endurance for many years.
The disease begins with muscle twitching, weakness in the limbs, or confused speech, and the patient's inability to speak properly, and then the body's ability to control the muscles necessary for movement, speaking, eating, and breathing normally varies

 Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of the disease and the speed of deterioration of the patient's condition varies from Person to person according to how many neurons affected they have
Most people with ALS will live for 3 to 5 years after first experiencing symptoms, but around 10 percent of patients will live for another 10 years or longer.ss
There is no cure, but treatment can relieve symptoms and improve quality of life

There is no cure for ALS, so treatment aims to alleviate symptoms, prevent unnecessary complications, and slow the rate of disease progression

ALS can cause a range of physical, mental, and social changes, so a team of specialists will often help patients manage their symptoms and care, improve their qualify of life, and prolong survival

Riluzole (Rilutek) was approved for ALS treatment by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1995, and it appears to slow the progression of the disease. It may work by reducing the body’s levels of glutamate, an excitotoxin that has been linked to neuronal damage

In May 2017, Radicava (Edaravone) was approved to treat ALS. It may slow the decline in physical function by one third
A number of research projects are looking at ways to use new and existing drugs to treat different aspects of ALS. Doctors can also prescribe medications to treat the different symptoms

Physical therapy can help people with ALS manage pain and address mobility issues

written by/ Rasheda El-Bohy

References

a) https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Amyotrophic-Lateral-Sclerosis-ALS-Fact-Sheet
b) https://medlineplus.gov/amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.HTML
c) https://www.mda.org/disease/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis
d) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354022