Question 1

is lou gehrig's disease curable?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately no : At this time, we do not possess effective treatment to stop or reverse classical motor neuron disease (als), and perhaps the best we can do is delay tracheostomy with riluzole.  The disease ultimately causes death in spite of careful and thorough care.  We have found some patterns involving superoxide dismutase, but no breakthroughs yet.

Question 2

what is als ( lou gehrigs disease )?

Accepted Answer

Paralysis of muscles: Lou gehrig's disease is also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that run the muscles that we can normally control. The cause of the disease is not known. In about 10% it is genetic. 

People with lou gehrig's disease slowly become weak in the arms and legs, and can have difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing.

Question 3

what are lou gehrig disease symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Muscle weakness: Twitching, especially in hands and feet.  Slurred speech or a "thick" tongue.  Difficulty swallowing.

Question 4

can you prevent lou gehrig's disease?

Accepted Answer

No: As far as we know this illness is not preventable at the current time. Research is ongoing.

Question 5

what is lou gehrig disease caused by?

Accepted Answer

Most are sporadic: While most cases of lou gehrigs disease do not have a known cause ("sporadic als"), approximately 5% of cases do run in families ("familial als").  There have been many proposed risk factors for developing sporadic als, but no clear smoking gun has been found to date.

Question 6

is there a cure for lou gehrig's disease

Accepted Answer

No: Lou gehrig's disease or ALS is unfortunately not curable at this time.  There is a drug, riluzole, that may slow the progression of the disease.  More information can be found at:  http://www.Alsa.Org/.

Question 7

is lou gehrig's disease dominant or recessive?

Accepted Answer

Neither: 90-90% of case of ALS are not inherited, it occurs at random at its cause is not known. In 5-10% of cases there is a familial form of the disease. In these 5-10% of cases it is usually dominant  (meaning it is only necessary to have one copy of the defective gene) remember however most of the time it is not inherited at all.

Question 8

how close are doctors to finding a cure to lou gehrig's disease?

Accepted Answer

Not close: We have learned that some cases are associated with fronto-temporal dementias rarely, and some cases cluster in certain areas of the world.  We do know that it is a disorder of "misfolded proteins" (superoxide dismutase), but we only have palliative meds and approaches.  Lastly, ALS was thot to cause lou gehrig's demise, but this is being reassessed.

Question 9

how effective is a tracheotomy for treating lou gehrig's disease?

Accepted Answer

Symptom treatment: A tracheotomy may be used to access the airway for suctioning and ventilation as a person with ALS gets weaker and needs help with respiration and secretion removal. This treatment itself just helps manage symptoms of the disease but does not do anything in regards to curing the disease itself.

Question 10

how effective is a gastrostomy for treating lou gehrig's disease?

Accepted Answer

Not a treatment: Gastrostomy is use to give the patient nutrients when he is unable to eat and keep them from starving to death. Often referred to as Tube Feeding

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Lou gehrig disease

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Is lou gehrig's disease curable?

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What is als ( lou gehrigs disease )?

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What are lou gehrig disease symptoms?

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Can you prevent lou gehrig's disease?

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What is lou gehrig disease caused by?

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Is there a cure for lou gehrig's disease

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Is lou gehrig's disease dominant or recessive?

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How close are doctors to finding a cure to lou gehrig's disease?

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How effective is a tracheotomy for treating lou gehrig's disease?

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How effective is a gastrostomy for treating lou gehrig's disease?

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