Treatment
There is no cure for MND and the disease is fatal; however, the disease progresses at different rates in patients.
People with MND are expected to live two to five years after the first symptoms appear, although 10 percent of patients live at least 10 years.
Story
The NHS describes motor neuron disease (MND) as: “An unusual condition that affects the brain and nerves. It causes weakness that gets worse over time. ‘
Weakness is caused by the deterioration of motor neurons, upper motor neurons that travel from the brain through the spinal cord and lower motor neurons that spread to the face, throat and limbs.
It was first discovered in 1865 by a French neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot, hence why MND is sometimes known as Charcot’s disease.
In the United Kingdom, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is referred to as Motor Neuron Disease, while in the USA, ALS is referred to as a specific subset of MND, which is defined as a group of neurological disorders.
However, according to Oxford University Hospitals: ‘Almost 90 percent of patients with MND have the mixed form of ALS from the disease, so the terms MND and ALS are commonly used to mean the same thing.’
Symptoms
Weakness in the ankle or leg, which can manifest with stumbling or difficulty climbing stairs, and weakness in the ability to hold things.
Slurred speech is an early symptom and may worsen later to include difficulty swallowing food.
Muscle cramps or spasms are also a symptom, as is weight loss due to the increased thickness of the muscles in the legs and arms over time.
Diagnosis
MND is difficult to diagnose in its early stages because several conditions can cause similar symptoms. There is also no test used to verify your presence.
However, the disease is usually diagnosed through an exclusion process, in which diseases that manifest symptoms similar to ALS are excluded.
Causes
The NHS states that MND is an ‘unusual disease’ that affects predominantly older people. However, it points out that it can affect adults of any age.
The SNS says that, for now, ‘it is not yet known why’ the disease happens. The ALS Association says that MND occurs worldwide “without racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries and can affect anyone”.
He says that veterans of war are twice as likely to develop ALS and that men are 20% more likely to contract it.
Lou Gehrig was one of baseball’s most prominent stars while playing for the Yankees between 1923 and 1939. Known as ‘The Iron Horse’, he played 2,130 consecutive games before ALS forced him to retire. The record was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995
Lou Gehrig’s disease
In addition to being known as ALS and Charcot’s disease, MND is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Lou Gehrig was a very popular baseball player, who played for the New York Yankees between 1923 and 1939.
He was famous for his strength and was nicknamed “The Iron Horse”.
His strength, popularity and fame transcended the sport of baseball and the condition adopted the name of sportsman.
He died two years after his diagnosis.