What is ALS?: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease," is a progressive
neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and
the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal
cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.
The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually
lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the
brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With
voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the
later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
Symptoms of ALS: At the onset of ALS the symptoms may be so
slight that they are frequently overlooked. With regard to the
appearance of symptoms and the progression of the illness, the
course of the disease may include the following: muscle weakness in
one or more of the following: hands, arms, legs or the muscles of
speech, swallowing or breathing twitching (fasciculation) and
cramping of muscles, especially those in the hands and feet
impairment of the use of the arms and legs. "Thick speech" and
difficulty in projecting the voice. In more advanced stages,
shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and swallowing
The initial symptoms of ALS can be quite varied in different people.
One person may experience tripping over carpet edges, another person
may have trouble lifting and a third person's early symptom may be
slurred speech. The rate at which ALS progresses can be quite
variable from one person to another. Although the mean survival time
with ALS is three to five years, many people live five, ten or more
years.
In a small number of people, ALS is known to remit or halt its
progression, though there is no scientific understanding as to how
and why this happens. Symptoms can begin in the muscles of speech,
swallowing or in the hands, arms, legs or feet. Not all people with
ALS experience the same symptoms or the same sequences or patterns
of progression. But, progressive muscle weakness and paralysis are
universally experienced.
Muscle weakness is a hallmark initial sign in ALS, occurring in
approximately 60% of patients. Early symptoms vary with each
individual, but usually include tripping, dropping things, abnormal
fatigue of the arms and/or legs, slurred speech, muscle cramps and
twitches and/or uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying.
The hands and feet may be affected first, causing difficulty in
lifting, walking or using the hands for the activities of daily
living such as dressing, washing and buttoning clothes.
As the weakening and paralysis continue to spread to the muscles of
the trunk of the body the disease, eventually affects speech,
swallowing, chewing and breathing. When the breathing muscles become
affected, ultimately, the patient will need permanent ventilatory
support in order to survive.
Since ALS attacks only motor neurons, the sense of sight, touch,
hearing, taste and smell are not affected. For many people, muscles
of the eyes and bladder are generally not affected. |
