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Medical Information on Lou Gehrig's Disease

Lou Gehrig's Disease is the commonly used name for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative neurological disease that affects nerve cells in both the brain and spinal cord.

  1. Lou Gehrig

    • Lou Gehrig's Disease is named after an American baseball player who was the captain of the New York Yankees. Gehrig struggled with his batting and general fitness in the 1938 season, his worst season since 1925. After only eight games of the 1939 season, he retired from professional baseball because of the degenerative effects of ALS.

    Neurons

    • Motor neurons are sent from the brain to the spinal cord and on to the muscles of the body. As the motor neurons die due to Lou Gehrig's Disease, the brain loses the ability to control muscle movements.

    Early Symptoms

    • Early symptoms of Lou Gehrig's Disease include muscle weakness affecting the arms and legs. Muscles controlling the throat and face can also be affected in the early stages of the disease, causing problems with speech, swallowing and breathing.

    Latter Stages

    • As a degenerative condition affecting the muscles, the condition progresses to muscle atrophy. As messages do not reach the muscles from the brain, the muscles of the limbs appear to decrease in size. Eventually, the condition leads to paralysis and death.

    Treatment

    • There is no known treatment for Lou Gehrig's Disease that can reverse or cure the condition. The FDA-approved drug Riluzole has been used to slow the progression of the condition.

    Burnout

    • The progression of Lou Gehrig's Disease cannot be accurately defined, as every case takes a different course and affects different areas of the body at different times. The ALS Association claims some cases of the disease have slowed or halted progression without treatment. This is referred to as burnout of the disease.

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