Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Management in Los Angeles, CA
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - also known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease - is a severe condition effecting approximately 30,000 Americans, with over 5,000 new cases being diagnosed each year.
But what exactly is ALS?
Brought into common awareness by Lou Gehrig a famous baseball player, the condition effects cells in the brain, spinal cord and nerves. ALS results in loss of control over your own body and the eventual deterioration of muscles (the sclerosis part of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
What are the signs, symptoms of ALS?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis typically begins with a painless, gradual onset. You'll experience muscle weakness and clumsiness, slurred speech can be present as well, along with cramps, general fatigue, and uncontrollable twitches. ALS presents uniquely in each patient, each experiencing a different set of symptoms and areas affected. However, ALS is an advancing disease, meaning these symptoms are just the start.
ALS can advance slowly or rapidly, but the average length of survival after onset is between three and five years.
With the typical progress of ALS dexterity is usually the first faculty to go, followed by course movements and eventually mobility itself. In the final stages, the muscles controlling breathing become effected and permanent assistance with breathing is required.
What are the treatment options? Is there a cure?
ALS has no cure—yet. Within the last decade though, significant advancements have been made in treatment and in slowing the progress of this disease, chief among which is stem cell research.