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| What do the letters ALS stand for?
ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Like many medical
terms it comes from Greek words.
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| ALS, a motor neuron disease, was first identified in 1869 by the
noted French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. Although the cause of ALS
is not completely understood, the 1990's have brought a wealth of new scientific
understanding about the physiology of this disease.
Lou Gehrig, with whom ALS is most commonly associated, first brought national and international attention to the disease back in 1939 when he abruptly retired from baseball after being diagnosed with ALS. However, ALS is not just Lou Gehrig's disease and it knows no boundaries. The disease has cut short the lives of such notable and courageous individuals as Hall of Fame Pitcher, Jim "Catfish" Hunter; actor, Michael Zaslow; creator of Sesame Street, Jon Stone; actor, David Niven; boxing champion, Ezzard Charles; Pro Football Player, Glenn Montgomery and Senator, Jacob Javits. |
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| As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing and breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (waste away). Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies. | ||||||||
| Although the cause of ALS is not completely understood, the 1990's have brought a wealth of new scientific understanding regarding the physiology of this disease. | ||||||||
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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:
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| 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. For the vast majority of people, their mind and thoughts are not impaired and remain sharp despite the progressive degenerating condition of the body. |
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"Familial" ALS (FALS) means the disease is inherited. Only about 5 to 10% of all ALS patients appear to have genetic or inherited form of ALS. In those families, there is a 50% chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation and may develop the disease. |
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ALS is a very difficult disease to diagnose. To date, there is no
one test or procedure to ultimately establish the diagnosis of ALS. It
is through a clinical examination and series of diagnostic tests, often
ruling out other diseases that mimic ALS, that a diagnosis can be established.
A comprehensive diagnostic workup includes most, if not all, of the following
procedures:
There are many diseases that have some of the same symptoms as ALS and many of these conditions are treatable. |
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The ALS Association (ALSA) with permission of the webmaster. |
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| The "How You Can Help" section of The ALS Association (ALSA) outlines the many ways you can help send a message of hope to the tens of thousands of men and woman who have ALS or will be diagnosed with this cruel disease. All those with ALS and their loved ones will thank you. | ||||||||
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