A diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a dire one indeed, since the central nervous system disease not only progressively robs patients of their ability to walk, speak and swallow, but eventually is fatal.
Significance
ALS is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, named after the famous New York Yankees' baseball star who suffered from this incurable condition. Its first symptoms---weakness in the arms or legs, muscle twitches or cramps or slurred speech---are often mistaken for less serious ailments because of their subtle nature.
Statistics
But ALS systematically continues attacking the nerve cells leading from the brain and spinal cord until all voluntary muscle control is lost. While limited drug treatments can slow the disease's progression, most patients die between two and five years after diagnosis. According to the ALS Association, about 5,600 people are diagnosed annually with ALS in the United States; up to 30,000 Americans may be experiencing the condition at any given time.
Progression
The progression of the disease, however, is not uniform from patient to patient. Initially, some begin tripping or dropping things, while others find they cannot enunciate words properly. But all go on to experience progressive muscle weakness that leads to total paralysis, though about 15 percent of patients will survive more than 10 years. The non-contagious disease can strike at any age, although its onset is more common between age 20 and 40.
Results
Regardless of its speed, ALS makes patients slowly lose the ability to perform typical daily tasks such as dressing, feeding and bathing. Eventually, standing and walking become impossible, while speaking, chewing, swallowing and breathing are affected, requiring round-the-clock care.
Other Effects
Patients may feel "locked in" to their bodies, since ALS doesn't usually affect the mind and they can see, hear, taste, smell and think as they did previously. Death usually results from the inability to breathe after muscle control in the chest wall and diaphragm is lost.
