Fighting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), alias Lou Gehrig's Disease
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ALS, a neurodegenerative killer disease.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
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.
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.
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With all voluntary muscle action affected, patients in the later stages of the disease become totally paralyzed. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of people, their minds remain unaffected.
The condition is often called Lou Gehrig's Disease in North America, after the New York Yankees baseball icon who was diagnosed with the disease in 1939 and died from it in 1941, at age thirty-seven. Today, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking is likely the best-known living ALS patient.
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.
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Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With all voluntary muscle action affected, patients in the later stages of the disease become totally paralyzed. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of people, their minds remain unaffected.
The condition is often called Lou Gehrig's Disease in North America, after the New York Yankees baseball icon who was diagnosed with the disease in 1939 and died from it in 1941, at age thirty-seven. Today, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking is likely the best-known living ALS patient.
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.
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPossible Causes of ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.The disorder causes muscle weakness and atrophy throughout the body as both the upper and lower motor neurons degenerate, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, develop fasciculations (twitches) because of denervation, and eventually atrophy because of that denervation. The patient may ultimately lose the ability to initiate and control all voluntary movement; bladder and bowel sphincters and the muscles responsible for eye movement are usually (but not always) spared.
The cause of ALS is unknown. About 5% to 10% of ALS sufferers have an inherited form of the disease. There is currently no cure or treatment today that halts or reverses ALS, there is one FDA approved drug, Rilutek® (riluzole), that modestly slows the progression of ALS as well as other drugs in clinical trials that hold promise.
Posible Symptoms of ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
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, legs, speech, swallowing and breathing. Muscle weakness occurs in approximately 60% of patients. When muscles no longer receive messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy or waste away. Limbs will begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies.
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 onset of ALS may be so subtle that the symptoms are frequently overlooked. The earliest symptoms are obvious weakness and/or muscle atrophy. This is followed by twitching, cramping, or stiffness of affected muscles; muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg; and/or slurred and nasal speech. The twitching, cramping, etc. associated with ALS is a result of the dying motor neurons, therefore these symptoms without clinical weakness or atrophy of affected muscle is likely not ALS.
Books on ALS:
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, legs, speech, swallowing and breathing. Muscle weakness occurs in approximately 60% of patients. When muscles no longer receive messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy or waste away. Limbs will begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies.
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 onset of ALS may be so subtle that the symptoms are frequently overlooked. The earliest symptoms are obvious weakness and/or muscle atrophy. This is followed by twitching, cramping, or stiffness of affected muscles; muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg; and/or slurred and nasal speech. The twitching, cramping, etc. associated with ALS is a result of the dying motor neurons, therefore these symptoms without clinical weakness or atrophy of affected muscle is likely not ALS.
Books on ALS:
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Possible Lifestyle Changes for ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
Although the sequence of emerging symptoms and the rate of disease progression vary from person to person, eventually patients will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. Difficulty swallowing and chewing impair the patient's ability to eat normally and increase the risk of choking. Maintaining weight will then become a problem. Because the disease usually does not affect cognitive abilities, patients are aware of their progressive loss of function and may become anxious and depressed. A small percentage of patients go on to develop frontotemporal dementia characterized by profound personality changes; this is more common among those with a family history of dementia. A larger proportion of patients experience mild problems with word-generation, attention, or decision-making. Cognitive function may be affected as part of the disease process or could be related to poor breathing at night (nocturnal hypoventilation). Health care professionals need to explain the course of the disease and describe available treatment options so that patients can make informed decisions in advance.
Because the majority of the care an ALS sufferer receives occurs in the home, it is important for people with ALS and their families learn as much about the condition as possible. , Light exercise and easy stretching in the early course of the disease will help keep the muscles strong and can ward off depression and fatigue. People with ALS tend to have problems eating and swallowing, so serving smaller, more frequent meals made up of soft, easy to chew foods can help avoid choking. As the disease progresses, the ALS sufferer will find it harder to move about and tend to his own needs. A number of supportive devices are available to help with the activities of daily living, including neck collars to support the head, foot and ankle braces, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, ramps, hand rails and shower seats, to name a few.
ALS video:
Although the sequence of emerging symptoms and the rate of disease progression vary from person to person, eventually patients will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. Difficulty swallowing and chewing impair the patient's ability to eat normally and increase the risk of choking. Maintaining weight will then become a problem. Because the disease usually does not affect cognitive abilities, patients are aware of their progressive loss of function and may become anxious and depressed. A small percentage of patients go on to develop frontotemporal dementia characterized by profound personality changes; this is more common among those with a family history of dementia. A larger proportion of patients experience mild problems with word-generation, attention, or decision-making. Cognitive function may be affected as part of the disease process or could be related to poor breathing at night (nocturnal hypoventilation). Health care professionals need to explain the course of the disease and describe available treatment options so that patients can make informed decisions in advance.
Because the majority of the care an ALS sufferer receives occurs in the home, it is important for people with ALS and their families learn as much about the condition as possible. , Light exercise and easy stretching in the early course of the disease will help keep the muscles strong and can ward off depression and fatigue. People with ALS tend to have problems eating and swallowing, so serving smaller, more frequent meals made up of soft, easy to chew foods can help avoid choking. As the disease progresses, the ALS sufferer will find it harder to move about and tend to his own needs. A number of supportive devices are available to help with the activities of daily living, including neck collars to support the head, foot and ankle braces, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, ramps, hand rails and shower seats, to name a few.
ALS video:
Prognosis for ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
Regardless of the part of the body first affected by the disease, it is usual for muscle weakness and atrophy to spread to other parts of the body as the disease progresses. It is important to remember that some patients with ALS have an arrested course with no progression beyond a certain point despite extensive follow-up. Such a pattern is particularly true for young males with predominant upper limb weakness especially on one side (so-called monomelic or Hirayama type motor neuron disease). Eventually people with ALS will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. In later stages of the disease, individuals have difficulty breathing as the muscles of the respiratory system weaken. Although ventilation support can ease problems with breathing and prolong survival, it does not affect the progression of ALS. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10-20 percent of those individuals with ALS survive for 10 or more years.
Amazon Voting (Plexo):
Respiratory Management of ALS: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by Lee Guion
Respiratory Management of ALS: Amyotrophic Lateral more...0 points
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): First Edition by Roger Hohnsbeen
This book written by a layperson considers some as more...0 points
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Toolkit - Comprehensive Medical Encyclopedia with Treatment Options, Clinical Data, and Practical Information (Two CD-ROM Set) by U.S. Government
This up-to-date and comprehensive set of two CD-RO more...0 points
21st Century Ultimate Medical Guide to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - Authoritative, Practical Clinical Information for Physicians and Patients, Treatment Options (Two CD-ROM Set) by PM Medical Health News
This up-to-date and comprehensive set of two CD-RO more...0 points
![Changes in memory for emotional material in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [An article from: Neuropsychologia] by B. Papps, S. Abrahams, P. Wicks, P.N. Leigh, Golds](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PPQSTG2AL._SL75_.jpg)
Changes in memory for emotional material in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [An article from: Neuropsychologia] by B. Papps, S. Abrahams, P. Wicks, P.N. Leigh, Golds
This digital document is a journal article from Neuropsychologia, more...0 points
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KeagansKorner
Nov 19, 2010 @ 5:43 pm | delete
- Another supplement many ALS patients take is CoQ10, my father took it everyday. I'm not sure if it helped, but not everyone responds to supplements the same way. So it could be a wonder supplement for one, but do nothing for another.
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odd1
Jan 8, 2010 @ 12:52 pm | delete
- Hi homebizproms
I've just put a Lens together that's not been given the green light yet.
However here are the two main links for you to see now, well 3, the Lens
http://www.squidoo.com/ms-symptoms-and-the-ccsvi-procedure
The 2nd is http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/CCSVINOW/
A UK Government petition to have the procedure carried out in England and the 3rd
A video that explains the procedure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVs2ROVMhA
Please can you send this out to as many people as possible, you have to live in the UK to sign the petition but the video should be seen by all MS suffers.
Please don't think this is in any way a money spinning Lens or links; any money generated by squidoos text and banana links goes to charity.
Just trying to get the message out there.
I hope this is some help to you.
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ALS Link List
- Fighting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), alias Lou Gehrig's Disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.Early symptoms vary with each individual but usually include tripping, dropping things, abnormal fatigue of the arms an
- Beating ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) to Death!
- ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a terrible illness that robs people of most of their abilities and brings early death in the vast majority of cases. It has no known cure, nothing to stop its progression and no mercy.I know this disease very well. Between October of 2006 and May of 2009,
- ALS Association
- The ALS Association encourages scientific research to find a cure for ALS, heightens awareness of the nature of the disease, stimulates volunteerism and activism, and increases awareness of government leaders to encourage support of research and patient care.
- ALS Chat & Support
- ALSforums is an all-volunteer support group provided free of charge to anyone directly or indirectly affected by motor neuron disease. ALSforums is the only fully moderated, absolutely free, ad-free, hassle-free online support group dedicated solely to ALS/MND.
- ALS TDI
- Click Here for a Virtual Tour of the World's Largest ALS Research Center
Step Up to the Plate. Click to learn how! ALS Research 101 - Online Version - Sign Up Today for 8/27/09 Live Webcast 8/21/2009. View all Discuss scientific advances and more. - Caring Today
- Caring Today wants you to be proactive in thinking about the important issue of long-term care for yourself and the people you may one day have to rely on.
- Les Turner ALS Foundation- Fighting Lou Gehrig's disease
- The Les Turner ALS Foundation is the only Chicago-area, independent and publicly supported non-profit organization for the treatment and elimination of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease.
- General Tips for ALS Patients and Caregivers
- Anyone who knows anything about ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease or Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis) knows that it's a terrible disease that takes things it has no right to take. It's terrible for the patient and hard for the caregivers, especially caregivers without previous training. Being there for an ALS patient may be difficult, but it's worth it too.
- Herbal Remedies Beneficial Dietary Supplements
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) / Lou Gehrig's Disease Supplements, Information & Products.
- Patrick O'Brien Foundation
- My name is Patrick. Sometime during the fall of 2004, I noticed an involuntary shaking in my legs. For a long time the exact cause eluded definition. On May 24th, 2005, however, I was officially diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
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