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Article: LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE CAN BE SLOWED.(LIVING)(Column)
- Article from:
- The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)
- Article date:
- October 30, 1997
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 The Cincinnati Post. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Dialog LLC by Gale Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Q: What are the symptoms of Lou Gehrig's disease and how is it treated?
A: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, causes a progressive weakness and destruction of the muscle tissue in the arms and legs. Lou Gehrig's disease also can affect the tongue and the muscles in the chest connected with breathing.
Muscle deterioration occurs when motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, brain stem, and cerebral cortex of the brain degenerate and can no longer transmit messages to the muscles.
Although the disease is not painful and does not produce symptoms such as loss of bladder or bowel control, it is disabling. A person might ...