Everything You Need to Know About ALS

 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that we’ve all heard of before but may not be too familiar with. The ALS Bucket Challenge also known as the “Ice Bucket Challenge” quickly became popular in 2014, with celebrities joining in on the challenge.

But there’s still a need for awareness about the disease and how it affects those who have been diagnosed with this terrible illness.

Let’s take a look at what ALS is, the symptoms, and current treatments for the disease:

What is ALS?

ALS is a disease that destroys nerve cells or neurons in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control and paralysis. It’s also called ‘Lou Gehrig’s disease” after the famous New York Yankee who died from it.

What Are The Symptoms Of ALS?

The symptoms vary from person to person, depending on which neurons have been affected.  The usual early signs of ALS are muscle twitching, along with weakness in the limbs that eventually spreads over the rest of the body.  The freezing cold water in the Ice Bucket Challenge was designed to give people a glimpse into the world of ALS patients, by numbing sensation in their limbs.

 Some possible signs of ALS include:

• Weakness in legs, feet or ankles
• Tripping and falling
• Slurred speech or trouble swallowing
• Muscle cramps and twitching in arms, shoulders and tongue
• Inappropriate crying, laughing or yawning
• Hand weakness or clumsiness
• Difficulty walking or doing normal daily activities
• Cognitive and behavioral change

What Are the Risk Factors for of ALS?

The cause of ALS is unknown in many cases, but researchers say there a number of risk factors that may predispose people to the illness. These include:

1.      Heredity: five to ten percent of people with ALS have a familial type that is genetic in origin due       to its occurrence in a particular family lineage

2.      Age: The chances of being diagnosed with ALS increases with age. Most people diagnosed with         ALS are over forty

3.      Gender: Men are more likely to be diagnosed than women

4.      Exposure to toxins: Researchers have found that exposure to certain types of neurotoxins may         increase the risk of developing ALS.

Treatments

Unfortunately no cure exists for ALS. A few drugs have been approved by the FDA, but they are disease modifiers, not cures. However many research centers across the globe are applying modern techniques of molecular and cellular biology in efforts to advance new and effective treatments.   

 If you want to learn more about this terrible disease, we suggest reading the medical suspense novel, “Chasing Time” by Thomas Reilly. Reilly does an exceptional job at explaining ALS and its devastating impact on patients and their families. 

“ChasingTime” takes the reader on a thrilling adventure as history professor Tony Lucas seeks to unravel clues from an ancient time-bending key in an effort to save his wife from the throes of a devastating and deadly disease. The story takes the classic medical drama, historical fiction, and fantasy genres, and turns them all completely on their heads. With its sharp, precise, and witty style, Chasing Time is an engaging, must-read story like nothing like you have read before.

 The book is available for purchase on Amazon.