Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis essays

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis essays Imagine sharp pains shooting through your legs and arms, problems in all of your muscles and knowing that you are going to die soon, at a considerably young age. These symptoms are only a few of the many signs that a person might be suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. These are the same symptoms that my Uncle went through when he suffered from ALS. He died two and a half years after he was diagnosed, at the age of forty-six, which goes to show that it doesn't take long for the disease to progress, and there is obviously no cure. Also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, this fatal condition regularly kills innocent people. Some think that ALS is a rare disease and that it will never affect them, but they think wrong. More people need to be aware of ALS, especially the statistics, effects and treatment/prognosis of this morbid disease. The facts and statistics of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) show that the disease is rare, yet bitter. To begin with, the term ALS was coined for a specific reason. "Amyotrophic" means poor muscle nourishment. "Lateral" refers to the edges of the spinal cord. "Sclerosis" means hardening and scarring. Therefore, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a disease that attacks the muscles and spinal cord, which slowly and painfully kills its victim. The cause of ALS is unknown, however, in a study done by Harvard University School of Public Health, scientists concluded that male war veterans from World War I through Vietnam are sixty percent more likely to develop ALS than non-veterans (Ruben 1). There are many theories as to what causes ALS, but this study is the only one that shows what might cause the disease. ALS affects people both sexes between 40 and 70 years old (What is ALS/MND? 1). ALS is more common in men than woman, a ratio of two to one (1). To add to that, one must consider life span and rarity statistics. In the ...