ALS Starts In The Brain, Not The Muscles

It has long been assumed that ALS develops in the muscles or the spinal cord, but recent scientific evidence has found that the brain has a significant role in the process, too. ALS, short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that manifests in muscle weakness, paralysis, and ultimately, respiratory failure.
 
By way of background, an estimated 450,000 around the world are now living with ALS. Another person is diagnosed with ALS every 90 minutes.
 
Attack on Brain Cells
ALS attacks certain brain cells needed in order to keep muscles moving which, in turn, affects the ability to move all body parts. The malady also takes away the ability to speak and makes a feeding tube necessary for nutritional intake. Early signs and symptoms of ALS include twitching, muscle cramps, weakness and difficulty speaking and/or swallowing.
 
On the other hand, ALS patients are not hindered in the areas of hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch, so all their senses are intact. Additionally, many of those afflicted do not experience any problems with their bowels or bladders.
 
Great Hope
With that said, ALS patients have been known to survive many more years than the usual three to five estimated at the onset of the disease. In these cases, excellent home care workers who become members of the team of medical professionals fighting against the effects of ALS can make a significant difference in quality and length of life for those who live with this debilitating disease.
 

Freelance travel writer Jane Lasky, contributes to publications such as Travel + Leisure, Vogue and Esquire. Her weekly sojourning column ran in 40 newspapers for 20 years. Jane is anything but an accidental tourist and always travels with her pillow. Check out her articles on Examiner.com.