What is ALS?
What is ALS?
ALS is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It got the name Lou Gehrig’s Disease from a famous New York Yankee player in 1939. This disease affects motor skills and movement throughout the entire body. ALS works fast, breaking the body down, and can be fatal. The statistics show at least 5,600 Americans are diagnosed with ALS a year. It crosses boundaries – it is not based on race, age, or socioeconomic factors. It can hit anyone at any time. How would you know if you had ALS? Please read the list of symptoms below.
- twitching
- muscle cramps
- weakness of the muscles
- heavy speech
- in some cases, difficulty breathing or swallowing
Typically the hands and feet are the first to become affected. You will find it difficult to move around or pick things up. When the disease starts to spread, it will infect the rest of the body, making it difficult to function at all. Basically the body stops cooperating with the brain. The only thing ALS does not touch is sensory, sight, touch, hearing, and smell.
There is no known cure for ALS. There is a drug called Riluzole that is used to treat ALS. However it only treats the disease marginally. It does not cure it or make it go away. It will just slow the process. It does not do this in every case, especially if you waited too long for a diagnosis. If you think you or someone you may know has ALS, seek medical attention as soon as possible.