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MND impacts nerves found in the cerebrum and spinal cord, that instruct your muscle tissue what to do.

This causes them to lose strength and stiffen gradually and usually affects how you walk, talk, consume food and respire.

It is a relatively rare disease that is most frequent in people above age fifty, but grown-ups of any age can be impacted.

A person's chance in their life of contracting MND is 1 out of 300.

Approximately 5,000 adults in the UK will have the condition at any given moment.

Scientists are not sure what causes MND, but it is probable to be a mix of the genes - or biological traits - you get from your mother and father when you are delivered, and other lifestyle factors.

In as many as one in 10 people with MND, specific genes play a much larger role.

There is usually a family history of the disease in such instances.

Identifying the First Signs of the Condition?

MND affects everyone differently.

Not everyone has the identical signs, or experiences them in the same order.

The disease can progress at varying rates too.

Some of the most common signs are:

• muscle weakness and cramps
• rigid articulations
• difficulties in your speech
• issues with swallowing, eating and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Cure?

No definitive treatment, but there is optimism coming from treatments focused on various types of MND.

MND is not a single illness - it is really multiple that culminate in the death of nerve cells.

An innovative medication called tofersen works in only one in 50 patients, however it has been shown to slow - and in some cases even reverse - a portion of the manifestations of MND.

It has been described as "absolutely groundbreaking" and a "significant point of hope" for the whole disease.

Even though the drug has recently been approved in the EU, it is not currently accessible in the UK.

There is only one pharmaceutical presently approved for the treatment of MND in the UK and approved by the NHS.

Riluzole may slow down the progression of the condition and prolong life by a few months, but it does not reverse damage.

Determining Life Expectancy for MND?

Certain individuals can live for many years with MND, including theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who was identified at the age of 22 and survived until 76.

But for most, the disease progresses quickly and life expectancy is only several years.

According to the charity MND Association, the disease kills a one-third of individuals within a twelve months and more than half within two years of diagnosis.

As the nerve cells cease functioning, ingestion and respiration become more challenging and numerous individuals need nutritional support or breathing apparatus to help them stay alive.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Be Diagnosed?

The exact cause has not been identified, but elite athletes seem disproportionately affected by MND.

A pair of research projects from 2005 and 2009 indicated that soccer players have an increased risk of developing MND.

Research from 2022 by the Glasgow University including 400 former Scotland rugby athletes determined they had an increased risk of developing the disease.

Researchers also found that rugby athletes who have experienced repeated head injuries have biological differences that may make them more prone to developing MND.

The MND Association recognizes there is a "correlation" between contact sports and MND.

It added that while the athletes studied were had a greater chance to develop MND, it did not show the sports directly led to the disease.

The organization also emphasises that "documented MND cases in these studies is still relatively low, and so concluding there is a definite increased risk could be misunderstood if this is simply a cluster due to random chance".

Several high-profile athletes have been identified with the disease in recent years.

This encompasses ex- rugby union internationals, soccer players, and cricket athletes.

Across the Atlantic, MLB athlete Lou Gehrig died from the disease at the age of 39.