ALS: What Is It?

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a medical condition that slowly degrades the nerves in the human body that control muscle movement, according to the Les Turner Foundation.

Fun Fact

• Most people know ALS as Lou Gehrig's Disease, named after a New York Yankees ballplayer who died from ALS in 1941.

Function

• As ALS progresses, the neurons in the body begin to lose their ability to send messages. This means that the limbs stop moving and begin to atrophy and weaken to the point where the body becomes paralyzed.

Effects

• Those suffering from ALS start noticing its effects when they have problems eating and speaking. Soon, people with ALS cannot move around on their own. Eventually, people with ALS lose the muscle stamina to even breath.

Types

• ALS manifests itself in different ways for each sufferer. Some people have a normal progression of the disease, while in others ALS seems to stop or progress at a very slow rate.

Treatment

• Unfortunately, no known cure for ALS exists; however, the drug Riluzole has proven effective in abating the condition and can add several months to a sufferer's life.