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What is it? - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, is a neurodegenerative disease.

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How does it manifest? - The disease affects the motor neurons  responsible for voluntary movements in the body, that is, the movements that a person conscientiously chooses to make.

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Effects - Sufferers increasingly lose muscle strength, which affects speech and body movements.

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How? - This is because both right and left neurons of sufferers degenerate over time.

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Causes - The causes of the disease are not fully understood, as it can strike suddenly.

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Genetics - According to researchers there is no specific gene solely responsible for the disease, although some patients genetically inherit the disease.

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Initial symptoms - Initial symptoms may vary greatly. This happens because it depends on the part of the body in which the disease develops first.

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Symptom: fibrillation - One of the symptoms is momentary involuntary muscle contractions, also called fibrillation.

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Symptom: weakness - Other common symptoms include muscle weakness and cramps.

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Symptom: voice - Beginning to talk in a weird way can also be a sign of ALS.

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Diagnosis - Because it's a rare disease, the diagnosis is not made from a single examination, but from several.

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Difficult diagnosis - This is because some ALS symptoms are similar to those of other diseases, such as poliomyelitis and multiple sclerosis, for example.

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Test: electromyography - One of the ways to test if a patient presenting the symptoms has the disease or not, is through an electromyography. This test measures the electrical activity of the muscles as they contract and relax.

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Test: blood and urine - Lab tests are not accurate in diagnosing ALS, but they do rule out other diseases that have similar symptoms.

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Test: nerve conduction velocity - This test is done to measure how well the nerves are able to send signals to the muscles and spine.

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Test: muscular biopsy - Doctors can order this test to see if the symptoms are linked to any specific muscle disease.

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Test: MRI - This test is performed to obtain detailed images of the spinal cord and brain. They can give clues as to what is causing the symptoms.

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Test: lumbar puncture - Another procedure that can be done to help diagnose ALS is a lumbar puncture. This consists of the analysis of a fluid present in the spine and can help to identify a neurological condition.

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Is there a cure? - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis has no cure and patients' life expectancy is generally 3 to 5 years.

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Stephen Hawking - Though there are exceptions to the rule. One of the most famous ALS sufferers was British physicist Stephen Hawking. Diagnosed with the disease at age 21, he lived to be 76 years old.

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Stephen Hawking - But Hawking's case was also an exception to another rule, since it's not common for the disease to appear at such an early age. It usually manifests in men after the age of 40 and in women after 70.

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Treatment - Although there's no cure, there are a number of treatments that can improve a patient's quality of life.

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Treatment: physiotherapy - Simple aerobic exercises performed with the support of a therapist can help strengthen muscles not affected by the disease.

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Treatment: language therapy - A speech therapist can also help with communication, which can become compromised by the disease.

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Treatment: diet - An appropriate diet is essential when losing muscular strength. Daily fiber, calories, and fluid intake should be taken into account.

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Treatment: Occupational therapy - The disease has many effects on the patient's body, so occupational therapy can help both rehabilitation and dealing with any movement restrictions.

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Treatment: psychotherapy/counselling - Not only for the patient, but also for the family. Especially for those who care for the patient directly, it is recommended to follow up with a psychologist. Therapy will assist in dealing with the disease and the emotional issues it brings.

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Treatment: medication - Though there is no specific medication to treat the disease, a doctor can prescribe other medications that alleviate the symptoms.

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ELS) - It is our hope that research will advance and that the cure for this and other degenerative diseases can be found.

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