Lou Gehrig Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Lou Gehrig’s disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that attacks the nervous system, from the brain to the spine.
This condition has an impact on decreasing the function of these nerve cells. As a result, the areas of the body associated with the nervous system do not function properly, slowly lose the strength of the surrounding muscles, and eventually cannot work at all.
The name of this disease is taken from the name of the baseball player, Lou Gehrig, who was very famous in his time. Gehrig lost his career due to a decrease in the strength of his muscles.
Not a few world leaders who experienced a similar disease. Another well-known example of sufferers is the cosmologist and renowned book author, Stephen Hawking.
Symptom
Early symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease include the following:
- Twitching in the muscles accompanied by weakness
- Difficulty walking
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hands shaking and feeling weak
- Difficulty holding the head in an upright position
Weakness in the limbs then develops causing difficulty eating and breathing in sufferers which can lead to death.
Reason
Until now, the exact cause of Lou Gehrig’s disease is not known. However, various studies show that this disease is associated with several conditions:
- Gene mutation
- An imbalance in the body’s chemical compounds in which glutamate levels exceed the normal threshold. Excess glutamate is toxic to nerve cells.
- Autoimmune, in which the body’s defense cells attack normal nerve cells.
- Disorders of protein metabolism in the body that lead to the destruction of nerve cells
Although the cause cannot be ascertained, some people are known to have a higher risk of Lou Gehrig’s disease than others. These risk factors include:
- There is a history of Lou Gehrig’s disease in the nuclear family
- Age 40–60 years
- Female gender, especially under the age of 65
- Smoke
- Exposure to toxins from environmental waste around
- Military profession, but the exact reason between this profession and Lou Gehrig’s increased risk is not widely known.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing Lou Gehrig is not easy, because the initial symptoms of this disease resemble many other types of neurological disorders. For this reason, several further checks are needed to make sure:
- Routine blood tests. Blood tests are carried out to assess the general condition of the body.
- Electromyogram (EMG). EMG is done by recording patterns of muscle activity in several areas of the body. Disturbances in strength and patterns of muscle activity may indicate Lou Gehrig’s disease.
- Assessment of muscle conduction. This examination is carried out to see the smooth coordination of nerves and muscles. From this examination, it can be seen whether the main disturbance is located in the nerves or in the muscles.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). An MRI examination can show detailed images of the brain and spinal cord. This examination is done to see the possibility of tumors, herniated nerves or other similar abnormalities.
- Lumbar puncture. Taking a little fluid from the spine is sometimes needed to see if there are other possible causes of nerve disorders, such as infection.
- Muscle biopsy. A muscle biopsy is done by taking a small amount of muscle tissue and examining it under a microscope. This examination is carried out if the doctor suspects a disease originating purely from the muscles.
Treatment
Until now there has not been found a treatment that can completely cure Lou Gehrig’s disease. Handling given to sufferers is limited to providing comfort, reducing complaints, and slowing the progression of the disease.
The administration of drugs is supportive. For example, giving muscle vitamins to patients with complaints of stiffness and muscle cramps.
In addition to drugs, the treatment of sufferers of this disease is also carried out with various therapies such as walking therapy, talk therapy including psychological support. In patients with difficulty breathing, a tracheotomy can be performed, which is the creation of an airway with the help of a tool that is attached to the neck.
Prevention
Because no definite cause has been found so far, prevention of Lou Gehrig’s disease is also not possible.