About ALS

What is ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that harms cells in the brain and spinal cord that are needed to keep muscles active. This means that ALS leads to muscle weakness and eventually a loss of function. Other names for ALS include Motor Neuron Disease (MND), Lou Gehring’s Disease, and Charcot’s disease. 

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It is predicted that about 30,000 people in the United States of America have ALS. Although it is hard to diagnose, a few early symptoms of ALS are muscle cramps and muscle twitching, weakness in hands, legs, and feet, as well as difficulty speaking and/or swallowing. The five senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch) and cognitive function, however, are not affected. 

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Additionally, the disease is not experienced by everyone in the same way. The progression of ALS can vary from person to person. Statistically, the majority of people live about 3-5 years after they experience the first signs of the disease. However, some people do survive for 10 years or more.

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Is there a cure for ALS?

At the moment, there are no known cures or treatments to stop ALS. It is an intricate disease that affects everyone differently. More research is going on every day.

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Sources

https://www.als.net/what-is-als/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what-is-als

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-it-so-hard-to-cure-als-fernando-vieira

https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/als/research/platform-trial