Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, causes damage to motor neurons, which regulate voluntary movement in your body. It is a progressive condition that leads to paralysis, respiratory failure, and death over time. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease that is named after a famous baseball player who died of the condition in the late 1930s. While there is currently no treatment for ALS, emerging discoveries are opening up new research opportunities for those who are affected.
Here are some interesting facts for you on ALS:
1. Approximately 5 to 10% of ALS cases are inherited
About 95% of ALS are ‘sporadic’,
meaning that the cause is unknown. Certain people are more vulnerable to ALS
due to genetic abnormalities. The rest 5% are ‘familial’ which means the
disease is passed down from generation to generation. Some genes are shared by
the two types. If a parent has familial ALS, their child has a 50% risk of
adopting the mutation and developing the disease.
2. The symptoms of ALS don’t follow a specific pattern
If you have ALS, you
might realize that you are dropping items more frequently, tripping, or
stuttering your words at first, but the symptoms of ALS differ from person to
person. Twitching, muscle spasms, stiffness in the arms and legs, excessive
saliva, and outbursts of laughing or sobbing are some of the symptoms of ALS.
Although the disease may appear to be slow-moving at first, ALS sufferers
eventually acquire severe muscle weakness, become paralysed, and require aid
breathing.
3. About 15% of ALS diagnoses are inaccurate
Because the symptoms
of ALS are similar to those of other diseases and there is no specific test
to confirm the diagnosis, it can take a year or more to receive a diagnosis.
Consider seeking a second opinion if you or someone you know has been
diagnosed with ALS. Men are affected by ALS at a younger age than women,
but the gender gap narrows over time. People who have served in the military
are twice as likely to get ALS for unexplained reasons.
4. Available treatments for ALS
Riluzole and Edaravone,
two medicines, may decrease disease development and prolong life by a few
months. Sudden outbursts of laughing or sobbing is a condition that affects
some ALS patients and can be treated with medication. People with ALS are cared
for by a neurologist, but physical and occupational therapists, respiratory
therapists, nutritionists, and social workers or counsellors can assist
patients to maintain function and independence for extended periods of time.
There is currently no cure for ALS, however, there is extensive research
into medications that may delay or stop the disease's course.
5. A period of no disease progression
It's not uncommon for
people with ALS to have times where the disease stops developing for weeks or
months for unspecified reasons. This is referred to as an "arrest."
Some individuals can experience reversals, or improvements in function, in a
few, rare situations. Sadly, these intervals rarely endure more than a few
months until the symptoms recur and progression of ALS begins, though
they can continue up to a year in exceptional circumstances.
