ALS is short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and is also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease because the world-famous baseball player Lou Gehrig famously suffered from it.  The disease also got a lot of attention a short time ago because of the “Ice-bucket challenge” that was set up with the intention of raising awareness and donations for research into ALS.  ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells called motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord.  These motor neurons control the muscles of the body, and their degeneration as a result of the disease leads to problems with muscle control and eventually to death.  Patients in the latter stages of the disease can become entirely paralyzed.

  ALS symptoms can be very subtle at the initial stages of the disease and are often overlooked because of this.  Muscles may cramp or twitch as a person’s voluntary motor control first begins to degenerate.  They may even begin to feel stiff or weak, especially in the arms and legs.  Some people report slurred speech or difficulty chewing.  People will notice symptoms in one area first, but soon it will spread, and as symptoms accumulate, doctors will begin to suspect ALS as a potential cause.  Although there are other possible causes of such symptoms, if a patient has signs of both upper and lower motor neuron damage, that is, both stiffness and weakness, and other causes are ruled out, the patient may be diagnosed with ALS.

  As the disease progresses, these small problems will get worse and affect more and more of the muscles of the body in more and more severe ways.  Every patient is different in the rate of progression and which areas become more severe first, but eventually patients will no longer be able to move around on their own and will require assistance.  They will have trouble eating because of the muscles involved in swallowing and chewing, and will require special care in feeding.  However, the disease does not usually affect cognitive abilities, so patients are still able to think normally and will be fully aware of their degeneration, even if their ability to communicate is affected.

  There is no cure for ALS yet.  However, there are emerging treatments that help reduce damage caused to motor neurons by the advancement of the disease.  Other treatments try to mitigate symptoms and provide supportive care to help the patient as much as possible despite his or her degenerating state.  Hopefully, with the rise in awareness for ALS and with continued donations to research, better treatments and even a cure are soon to come.

ALS is a serious disease that affects millions of people every year, and there are many other neurological disorders and diseases that can have serious consequences.  If you have any questions about ALS or other neurological disorders, be sure to ask a qualified physician.  You can find doctors that specialize in neurology in IPALC’s physician directory at www.ipalc.org/find or contact IPALC directly at info@ipalc.org to get assistance from our helpful staff.