In recognition of ALS Awareness Month, TTMT is here to provide some frequently asked questions and information about ALS.
What is ALS?
ALS (also know as Lou Gehrig's disease) stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Over time, the brain loses connection with the muscles, which affects mobility and bodily functions. This means a person with ALS will lose their ability to do things such as eat, walk, and speak. Eventually, a person with ALS will experience total loss of muscle control, leading to respiratory failure. There is unfortunately no cure.
Symptoms of ALS vary from person to person. Potential symptoms include:
- Trouble performing daily physical activities or fine motor skills.
- Frequent tripping/falling.
- Weakness or clumsiness in limbs and/or extremities.
- Slurred speech, sudden change in voice pitch, or trouble swallowing.
- Uncontrollable crying, laughing or yawning.
The progression is gradual, spanning years. In all cases, one experiences a progressive weakening of the muscles and eventual paralysis.
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What causes ALS?ALS has no known direct cause. For around 90% of all cases, there's no known family or genetic link to ALS, and the remaining 10% involve a family history of the disease. |
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Who gets ALS?Anyone can be affected by ALS. Risk increases with age, most frequently affecting those from age 40 years to mid-80s, with 55 years as the average age of onset. Military veterans are more frequently diagnosed with ALS than the general population, but the reasons are currently unknown. |
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What support is there for ALS?Team Gleason helps put aid in the hands of those with ALS (https://teamgleason.org/). The ALS Association (https://www.als.org/support/support-groups) includes resources for finding local support groups. You can also see what resources and services TTMT provides for those with an ALS diagnosis. |
Sources:
https://www.als.org/understanding-als/what-is-als
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354022