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In this presentation, I will be talking about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. I will present some concepts, some statistics, and some preventative measures you can take against this horrible disease. (Stephen Hawking had ALS for 55 years)

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1) ALS is the most common type of motor neuron disease. Motor neuron diseases are a group of diseases that cause the motor nerves in the spine and brain to lose function over time.

2) There are essentially 3 steps or progressions when you have ALS. There are the early, middle, and late stages. The early stages of ALS include muscle weakness, tightness (spasticity), cramping, or twitching (fasciculations). This stage is also associated with muscle loss or atrophy. The middles stages of ALS include muscle weakness and atrophy spreading to other parts of the body. Some people develop problems in walking, and in swallowing (dysphagia). Other problems associated with increasing muscle weakness include difficulty in speaking and breathing (dyspnea). In the late stages of ALS most voluntary muscles become paralyzed. As the muscles of the mouth and throat, and those involved in breathing, become paralyzed, eating, speaking, and breathing are compromised. Most people die due to respiratory failure.

3) Currently, there is no cure or even a way to slow down the progression of the disease.

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About 30,000 people are affected by this horrible disease and about 5,000 people are diagnosed with it each year.

There are estimates that this disease is responsible for about 5 of every 100,000 deaths in ages 20 or older.

In America alone about 2 per 100,000 people have it, but it is believed that about 30,000 have it at any given time. (Some more stats)

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From my research, I have found that there isn't much you can do to truly prevent it.

A few ways you can decrease your chances of getting it are eating more fruits and vegetables with Omega 3's and fatty acids.

Also knowing the early symptoms and going to the doctors to be diagnosed and also seeing if you have that specific gene.

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This image shows the famous ice bucket challenge. The ice bucket challenge was a way to spread awareness of ALS and a lot of famous people ended up donating and supporting the cause in help of finding a cure for it.

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This is far into the progression of the disease. This man is not able to move any part of his body, maybe his head, and he is not able to talk. That's why he has that computer in front of him, that is his way to communicate.

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Mayo Clinic. (2019, August 6). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354022

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The ALS Association. (2021). What is ALS? The ALS Association. https://www.als.org/understanding-als/what-is-als

Stages of ALS - ALS News Today. (2017). ALS News Today. https://alsnewstoday.com/stages-of-als/

What We Do. (n.d.). The ALS Association. https://www.als.org/about-us/what-we-do

CDC. (2018, August 8). Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/dotw/als/index.html

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This image is showing the different symptoms and the progression of being able to walk, as well as the difference between a healthy neuron versus a deteriorated neuron.