Lou Gehrigs Disease Essay Example
Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or otherwise known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The motor neurons navigate from the brain to the spinal cord, and then move onto the muscles through out the body. Lou Gehrig’s disease is a fatal disease with no cure. This disease was given its name from a major league baseball player Lou Gehrig, who played for the New York Yankees. Lou suffered from this disease even as a young adult. The disease began to slowly deteriorate his body and mind forcing him to quit baseball after having a phenomenal career in the major leagues. Although many people may view him as the first star to suffer from this disease, most see him as an extraordinary baseball player. ALS is when the thickening of tissue occurs in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord. This results in muscle atrophy, which begins in the limbs. ALS is more common in middle-aged men, but you may also find some cases in younger people. Due to the lack of nourishment within the muscles, they slowly begin to waste away. This disease is caused once the motor neurons in your body die, causing the brains ability to initiate and control muscle movement to be lost. You may become paralyzed from this disease if the voluntary muscle action becomes damaged. As the degenerating of motor neurons occur, impulses become harder to send to the fibers in the muscle that causes muscle movement. Muscles within the chest begin the damage, making it hard to breathe on your own. Although the nerves become damaged, your five senses are not affected, along with the feelings of hot, cold, pain, or pressure. You brains ability to think and remember things, is also not affected. Some early symptoms of ALS include muscle weakening, especially in areas like the arms, legs, speech, and even swallowing and breathing. This occurs because the muscles lack the
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or otherwise known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The motor neurons navigate from the brain to the spinal cord, and then move onto the muscles through out the body. Lou Gehrig’s disease is a fatal disease with no cure. This disease was given its name from a major league baseball player Lou Gehrig, who played for the New York Yankees. Lou suffered from this disease even as a young adult. The disease began to slowly deteriorate his body and mind forcing him to quit baseball after having a phenomenal career in the major leagues. Although many people may view him as the first star to suffer from this disease, most see him as an extraordinary baseball player. ALS is when the thickening of tissue occurs in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord. This results in muscle atrophy, which begins in the limbs. ALS is more common in middle-aged men, but you may also find some cases in younger people. Due to the lack of nourishment within the muscles, they slowly begin to waste away. This disease is caused once the motor neurons in your body die, causing the brains ability to initiate and control muscle movement to be lost. You may become paralyzed from this disease if the voluntary muscle action becomes damaged. As the degenerating of motor neurons occur, impulses become harder to send to the fibers in the muscle that causes muscle movement. Muscles within the chest begin the damage, making it hard to breathe on your own. Although the nerves become damaged, your five senses are not affected, along with the feelings of hot, cold, pain, or pressure. You brains ability to think and remember things, is also not affected. Some early symptoms of ALS include muscle weakening, especially in areas like the arms, legs, speech, and even swallowing and breathing. This occurs because the muscles lack the