Amyotrophic+Lateral+Sclerosis+(ALS)

ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease

Description:

This disease is found in the nerve system and it attacks the spinal cord and brain, which results in paralysis and death.

The disease usually occurs between ages 40 to 60. More men than women get it. Nobody knows how ALS occurs. It usually runs in the family but it comes out of no where.

Chromosome location:

The chromosome location is in chromosome 21.

Treatment:

This disease is not fixable or curable it just gets worse. It is treatable with drugs called antioxidants. This drug may help people with ALS make symptoms better and it makes there life longer.

Life Expectancy:

So in the first stage of the disease you have mild muscle problems. You can have trouble with walking or running, writing and you have speech problems. After a while you lose your strength and movement. When muscles in your chest stop working you cannot breathe anymore. But a ventilator can help for a while. The life expectancy is not to long.

Support Organizations: The ALS association helps peopole fight the disease and has realy good research on the disease. By: Miranda Delaney health-writings.com