Als
Medical history has been filled with an array of diseases and illnesses, ranging from the common cold to deadly killers. Some are easily treatable and others can be terminal, but some of the worst are those that still remain without a cure; one such disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or , is a degenerative disease affecting the human nervous system. It is a deadly disease that cripples and kills its victims due to a breakdown in the body’s motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells in the brainstem and spinal cord that control muscle contractions. In , these neurons deteriorate to a point that all movement, including breathing, halts. Muscle ...
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or dressing. In more advanced stages, however, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing and swallowing ensue, until the body is completely taken over by the disease. Intellect, eye motion, bladder function, and sensation are the only abilities spared.
Where and how this deadly disease originated is unknown, but it was first identified in 1869, by the noted French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. is not contagious, but research is still vague on the cause of the disease. Today, there are three recognized forms of : genetic, sporadic, and Guamanian. The genetic form of appears to be inherited or passed down within a family, and about ten percent of patients have a family history of the disease. An abnormal gene has been located in about half these families, but the cause of the remaining half is still unknown. The next, most common form, is sporadic . These patients have no family history of disease, and the cause of their coming down with is a mystery. Finally, is ...
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Als. (2006, April 21). Retrieved November 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Als/44739
"Als." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 21 Apr. 2006. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Als/44739>
"Als." Essayworld.com. April 21, 2006. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Als/44739.
"Als." Essayworld.com. April 21, 2006. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Als/44739.
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