I-ALS yiNtsingiselo yeNtsholongwane ye-Neurological Disorder
I-Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), ebizwa nangokuthi isifo sikaLou Gehrig, sisifo esihlasela iintsholongwane zesifo (i-motor neurons) ezilawula imisipha. I-ALS iya kuba nzima ngaphezu kwexesha (iqhubela phambili). Ii-neuron zeenjini zithwala imiyalezo malunga nokuhamba ukusuka kwingqondo ukuya kwiimisipha, kodwa kwi-ALS i-motor neurons iyancipha kwaye ifa; Ngoko ke, imiyalezo ayisayi kufika kwimisipha.
Xa izihlunu zingasetyenziselwa ixesha elide, ziyancipha, zilahlwe (i-atrophy), zidibanise phantsi kwesikhumba (fasciculate).
Ekugqibeleni, zonke izihlunu umntu angakwazi ukuzilawula (izihlunu zokuzithandela) zichaphazelekayo. Abantu abane-ALS balahlekelwa amandla okuhambisa izandla zabo, imilenze, umlomo kunye nomzimba. Inokuthi ifike kwindawo apho izidumbu ezisetyenziselwa ukuphefumla zichaphazelekayo, kwaye umntu unokufuna i-breath (ventilator) ukuze iphefumule.
Kwangexesha elide kwakukholelwa ukuba i-ALS yathintela izihlunu. Ngoku kuyaziwa ukuba abanye abantu abane-ALS bafumana utshintsho ekucingeni (ukuqonda), ezifana neengxaki zememori kunye nokwenza izigqibo. Esi sifo sinokubangela ukuba utshintsho kubuntu nokuziphatha, njengokudandatheka. I-ALS ayichaphazeli ingqondo okanye ingqondo, okanye ukukwazi ukubona okanye ukuva.
Yintoni ebangela ii-ALS?
Isizathu esona sizathu se-ALS asiyazi. Ngomnyaka we-1991, abaphandi bafumanisa ikhonkco phakathi kwe-ALS kunye ne-chromosome 21.
Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, i-gene elawula i-enzyme ye-SOD1 yachongwa njengento edibene ne-20% yeziganeko ezizuze njengefa kwiintsapho. I-SOD1 iphula i-radicals yamahhala, iinqununu ezinobungozi ezihlasela iiseli ngaphakathi kwaye zibangele ukufa kwazo. Ekubeni kungekhona zonke iimeko ezizuze ilifa ezidibeneyo kule mfuza, kwaye abanye abantu bezo kuphela kwiintsapho zabo kunye ne-ALS, ezinye izizathu zokuzalwa zikhona.
Ngubani ofumana i-ALS?
Abantu bavame ukuxilongwa nge-ALS phakathi kweminyaka engama-40 no-70, kodwa abantu abatsha banokuyihlakulela. I-ALS ichaphazela abantu emhlabeni jikelele nakuzo zonke iintlobo zemveli. Amadoda athathwe ngokuphindaphindiweyo kunabesifazane. Ama-90% ukuya kuma-95% ama-ALS matyala avela ngokungaqhelekanga, oku kuthetha ukuba akukho mntu kwintsapho yomntu ene-disorder. Ku-5% ukuya kuma-10% amacala, ilungu lentsapho linayo ingxaki.
Iimpawu ze-ALS
Ngokuqhelekileyo i-ALS ihamba ngokukhawuleza, iqala njengobuthakathaka kwisinye okanye emisipha. Umlenze omnye okanye ingalo enye inokuchaphazeleka. Ezinye iimpawu ziquka:
- ukuqhaqhaqhayisa, ukuchithwa, okanye ukuqina kosizi
- ukukhubeka, ukunqumla okanye ukuhamba nzima
- kunzima ukuphakamisa izinto
- kunzima ukusebenzisa izandla
Njengoko eso sifo siyaqhubeka, umntu onama-ALS akanako ukuma okanye ahambe; uya kuba neengxaki zokuhamba, ukuthetha nokugwinya.
Ukuxilongwa kwe-ALS
Ukuxilongwa kwe-ALS kusekelwe kwiimpawu kwaye zibonisa ukuba ugqirha uyakubona, kunye neziphumo zokuvavanya eziphelisa zonke ezinye izinto ezinokwenzeka, ezifana ne- multiple sclerosis , i-post-polio syndrome, i- spinal muscular atrophy , okanye izifo ezithile ezithintekayo. Ngokuqhelekileyo uvavanyo luyenziwa kwaye uxilongo lwenziwe ngugqirha ogxininise kwinkqubo yenzwa (i-neurologist).
ALS Treatment
Okwangoku, akukho nonyango ye-ALS. Unyango lwenzelwe ukukhupha iimpawu kunye nokuphucula umgangatho wobomi kubantu abaneengxaki. Amachiza anokuncedisa ukunciphisa ukukhathala, ukunciphisa imisipha yesikhumba , nokunciphisa intlungu. Kukho neyeza elithile le-ALS, elibizwa ngeRilutek (riluzole). Ayilungisi umonakalo owenziwe kumzimba, kodwa kubonakala usebenza ngokuthobekileyo ekwandiseni ukusinda kwabantu abane-ALS.
Ngonyango lwangokwenyama, izixhobo ezizodwa, kunye nokunyangwa kwentetho , abantu abane-ALS banokuhlala behamba kwaye banako ukuthetha nabo kangangoko kunokwenzeka.
Uninzi lwabantu abane-ALS bafa ngenxa yokungaphumeleli kokuphefumula, ngokuqhelekileyo kwiminyaka emi-3 kuya kwe-5 yokuxilongwa, kodwa malunga ne-10% yabantu abaxilongwa abane-ALS basinda iminyaka eyi-10 okanye ngaphezulu.
Uphando lwexesha elizayo
Abaphandi bahlola ezininzi izinto ezinokubangela i-ALS, njengempendulo yokuzimela (apho umzimba uhlasela khona iiseli) kunye nezizathu ezingqongileyo, ezifana nokuchayeka kwizinto ezinobuthi okanye ezithintekayo. Iingcali zenzululwazi ziye zafumanisa ukuba abantu abane-ALS banamazinga aphakamileyo yeekhemikhali ze-glutamate emizimbeni yabo, ngoko ke uphando lubheka ukudibana phakathi kwe-glutamate ne-ALS. Ukongezelela, izazinzulu zikhangela ezinye izinto eziphilayo ezingabonakaliyo, ukuba bonke abantu abane-ALS babelane, ukwenzela ukuba iimvavanyo zokubona kunye nokuxilonga i-disorder zingaphuhliswa.
Umthombo:
"I-Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis." Iingxaki zeA AZ. Ngomhla ka-2003. I-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 13 Meyi 2009