Who gets ALS? How is ALS diagnosed? What causes ALS? How is ALS treated? What research is being done? How can I help research? Where can I get more information? Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS is a rare neurological disease that primarily affects the nerve cells neurons responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement those muscles we choose to move.
Voluntary muscles produce movements like chewing, walking, and talking. The disease is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time. Currently, there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt or reverse the progression of the disease.
ALS belongs to a wider group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are caused by gradual deterioration degeneration and death of motor neurons.
Motor neurons are nerve cells that extend from the brain to the spinal cord and to muscles throughout the body. As motor neurons degenerate, they stop sending messages to the muscles and the muscles gradually weaken, start to twitch, and waste away atrophy. Eventually, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control voluntary movements. Early symptoms of ALS usually include muscle weakness or stiffness. Gradually all voluntary muscles are affected, and individuals lose their strength and the ability to speak, eat, move, and even breathe.
Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from when the symptoms first appear. However, about 10 percent of people with ALS survive for 10 or more years. The onset of ALS can be so subtle that the symptoms are overlooked but gradually these symptoms develop into more obvious weakness or atrophy.
The first sign of ALS usually appears in the hand or arm and can show as difficulty with simple tasks such as buttoning a shirt, writing, or turning a key in a lock. In other cases, symptoms initially affect one leg. People experience awkwardness when walking or running, or they may trip or stumble more often.
As the disease progresses , muscle weakness and atrophy spread to other parts of the body. Individuals may develop problems with moving, swallowing called dysphagia , speaking or forming words dysarthria , and breathing dyspnea. Although the sequence of emerging symptoms and the rate of disease progression can vary from person to person, eventually individuals will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms.
Individuals with ALS usually have difficulty swallowing and chewing food, which makes it hard to eat. They also burn calories at a faster rate than most people without ALS. Due to these factors, people with ALS tend to lose weight rapidly and can become malnourished. ALS Association. Living With. Related Issues. Clinical Trials. Article: Phase 1b dose-escalation, safety, and pharmacokinetic study of IC14, a monoclonal Article: Relationship between statins and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis -- see more articles.
Find an Expert. This lets the person know that they are loved and helps them feel comfortable as they are surrounded by people they care about. A primary role of hospice care is to take the responsibility away from family members ; they can assist the patient with activities of daily living ADLs , allowing family members to focus on spending time with their loved ones. Family members should also cherish the time they have left with their loved ones suffering from ALS.
Create memories with them, even if it is by simply watching a movie with them while holding their hands. Small moments like this can leave a meaningful and lasting memory.
The primary goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of life for patients with ALS. This is accomplished by managing the late-stage symptoms, helping families deal with their concerns and promoting social interactions between the patient and their loved ones. The most notable benefits of hospice care for ALS patients include:. Of course, the benefits for every patient and family differ. Is there a cure for ALS?
How is ALS treated? Defective glutamate metabolism Free radical injury Mitochondrial dysfunction Gene defects Programmed cell death or apoptosis. Cytoskeletal protein defects Autoimmune and inflammatory mechanisms Accumulation of protein aggregates clumps Viral infections.
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