I want to thank Andrea Bevan and Sabrina Elizabeth for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!!! However, I hate cold water so I opted out and I thought that I would take the time and provide a few facts about ALS and raise awareness instead of just dump a bucket of ice over my head!!! So here we go... ALS or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes called Lou Gehrigs disease, is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve responsible for controlling voluntary muscles, such as those in the arms, legs, and face. The disease belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are characterized by the gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells located in the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord that serve as controlling units and vital communication links between the nervous system and the voluntary muscles of the body. Messages from motor neurons in the brain, called upper motor neurons, are transmitted to motor neurons in the spinal cord, called lower motor neurons, and from there particular muscles are affected. In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die, and stop sending messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, waste away (atrophy), and have very fine twitches, called fasciculations. Eventually, the ability of the brain to start and control voluntary movement is lost. The onset of ALS may be so subtle that the symptoms are overlooked. The earliest symptoms may include fasciculations, cramps, tight and stiff spastic muscles, muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg, slurred and nasal speech, or difficulty chewing or swallowing. The parts of the body showing early symptoms of ALS depend on which muscles in the body are affected. Many individuals first see the effects of the disease in a hand or arm as they experience difficulty with simple tasks requiring manual dexterity such as buttoning a shirt, writing, or turning a key in a lock. In other cases, symptoms initially affect one of the legs, and people experience awkwardness when walking or running or they notice that they are tripping or stumbling more often. When symptoms begin in the arms or legs, it is referred to as “limb onset” ALS. Other individuals first notice speech problems, termed “bulbar onset” ALS. Regardless of the part of the body first affected by the disease, muscle weakness and atrophy spread to other parts of the body as the disease progresses. Individuals may develop problems with moving, swallowing (dysphagia), and speaking or forming words (dysarthria). Symptoms of upper motor neuron involvement include spasticity and exaggerated reflexes (hyperreflexia) including an overactive gag reflex. An abnormal reflex commonly called Babinski’s sign (the large toe extends upward as the sole of the foot is stimulated in a certain way) also indicates upper motor neuron damage. Symptoms of lower motor neuron degeneration include muscle weakness and atrophy, muscle cramps, and fasciculations. ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide, and people of all races and ethnic backgrounds are affected. ALS is more common among white males, non-Hispanics, and persons aged 60–69 years, but younger and older people also can develop the disease. Men are affected more often than women. In 90 to 95 percent of all ALS cases, the disease occurs apparently at random with no clearly associated risk factors. Individuals with this sporadic form of the disease do not have a family history of ALS, and their family members are not considered to be at increased risk for developing it. The approximate life expectancy of an ALS patient averages about 2-5 years from the time of diagnosis. This disease is variable and many people live with quality for five years and more. More than half of all patients live more than three years after diagnosis. Ultimately, the general complaints develop into more obvious weakness or atrophy which may cause a physician to suspect ALS. To be diagnosed with ALS, people must have signs and symptoms of both upper and lower motor neuron damage that cannot be attributed to other causes. I now turn to Katie Anne Sudds, Tamara Hamilton, Samantha Yarrow, Morgan Lawrence, Lisa Uyeda, Amanda Eastman, Corey Walton, Kelly Walsh, and Steph Annie (aka Holt). To do your part in spreading awareness for this great cause!!!
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 02:19:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015