What Is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) In Layman Terms?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a specific disease which causes the death of the neurons. It is a group of rare neurological diseases. The neurons death causes muscle weakness and impact on physical and muscular tinnitus. A neuron is a cell that carries the electrical impulses. Neurons are the basic unit of the nervous system and the most important part of the brain.

What happened after the death of neurons?

After the death of neurons, a person loses his ability to do daily work like wearing clothes or combing hair. In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a stage comes where a person becomes paralyzed. ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease after a famous baseball player diagnosed it.

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Sign and symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:-

The symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis begin with weakness in legs or arms and muscle twitching. In some cases slurring in speech also occurs. It also affects the muscle needed for speaking, eating, breathing and moving. There is no known cure for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis which eventually causes the death of a person. Few other signs and symptoms are –

• Difficulties in tripping, walking or doing daily activities.
• Weakness in leg, feet or ankles.
• Hand weakness and clumsiness, muscular Tinnitus.
• Slurring in speech or trouble in swallowing.
• Twitching and muscle cramp in shoulders, tongue, and arms.
• Difficulties in holding head up or keeping a uniform posture.

Causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:-

Some of the causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are known but most of the causes are not known yet. Few of the known causes are described below:-

• Due to Chemical imbalances:- People who have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis generally have higher than normal levels of glutamate, a chemical messenger in the brain around the nerve cell in their spinal fluid. Increase in the level of glutamates known to be toxic to some nerve cells.
• Due to disorganized with immune:- Sometimes a person’s immune system starts attacking his own internal cells, which may lead to the death of the nerve cells.
• Due to Protein mishandling:- Researchers believe that proteins which are mishandled by the nerve cells result in a slow collection of abnormal forms of these mishandled proteins inside the cells, destroying the nerve cells.

The disease frequently begins in hands, legs, and limbs and then spreads to other parts of the body. As the disease advances, the muscle becomes progressively weaker. This weakness can eventually affect chewing, swallowing, speaking and breathing of a person. However, ALS doesn’t eventually affect the bowel and bladder control, your senses and thinking ability. There are many other facts that show that ALS causes muscular tinnitus.

Risk of ALS

• Age:- The risk of ALS increases with age. It mostly occurs between the ages of 45 and 60.
• Genetics:- Genetics can play a vital role in ALS. As genes transferred from the parent to offspring. Though, the genes carry ALS too.
• Smoking:- Smoking is the risk factor for ALS. The women have a higher risk of ALS after menopause.

Diagnosis

Several tests may help diagnose ALS. These include:

• electromyography (EMG), It detects electrical energy in muscles
• nerve conduction study (NCS), It tests how well the nerves sending the signals

These tests can evaluate and rule out neuropathy, or peripheral nerve damage, and myopathy, or muscle disease. Blood and urine test may include to rule out other conditions. Some medical problems like HIV, Lyme disease can produce similar symptoms to ALS.

Treatment

There is no cure found yet for ALS. However, various techniques and treatments are available such as

• Medications like Riluzole and edaravone to treat ALS.
• Physical Therapy.
• speech therapy.
• Diet Support.
• Breathing Support.
• Specialists manage their symptoms and care, improve their quality of life
• Occupational therapy
• Nutritional support

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