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ALS Symptoms

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological disease that destroys cells that control the body's voluntary muscles. The baffling disease gradually diminishes muscle strength, eventually leading to the loss of movement. British physicist Stephen Hawking is one of the more widely known people who suffer from ALS.

  1. About ALS

    • ALS is a condition that affects motor neurons. Motor neurons are found in the brain and spinal cord and are responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Walking, talking, eating and breathing become increasingly difficult. As the neurons are destroyed, a person is unable to have use of his muscles, leading to atrophy and paralysis. According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a person with ALS usually has five years to live after being diagnosed with the affliction. What causes the disease is unknown.

    Upper Motor Neuron Symptoms

    • Motor neurons are nerve cells that aid in controlling muscle movement. Upper motor neurons are responsible for bringing messages from the brain to the spinal cord. Symptoms of impaired upper motor neutrons include stiff muscles and embellished reflexes. Babinski's sign, an uncharacteristic curling of the big toe during examination, is another symptom.

    Lower Motor Neuron Symptoms

    • Lower motor neurons are located in the brainstem and spinal cord. These neurons are responsible for transporting messages from the upper motor neurons to the individual muscles. Symptoms of when lower motor neurons have been affected include weakness in the muscles, atrophy, muscle cramping and twitching underneath the skin. A person is considered to have ALS when symptoms of upper and lower motor neuron damage are present without being ascribed to any other condition.

    Late Stage Symptoms

    • Not everyone will have the same symptoms of ALS and the disease advances at different rates in different people. However, as the disease progresses, people suffering from ALS will eventually be unable to stand, use their limbs and swallow. Also, a person with ALS will lose a tremendous amount of weight due to the inability to eat regularly. As ALS worsens, a person's respiratory system is compromised, requiring a ventilator for survival and increasing the risk of pneumonia.

    Who Is Affected

    • According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, approximately 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS annually in the United States. The condition can strike people of any race or ethnicity. While younger and older people can be stricken with the disease, ALS is most common in adults between the ages of 40 and 60. Only 5 percent to 10 percent of ALS cases have a genetic component.

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