Learn About ALS: Understanding Its Impact
This page explains ALS, exploring its symptoms and progression, aiming to raise awareness and support for those affected.
Understanding Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Its Impact
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neuron Disease (MND), Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and Charcot’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes the degeneration and eventual death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. This results in the wasting away of muscle, loss of movement, and progressive paralysis.
Comprehensive Overview of ALS Facts
This section shares key facts about ALS, including how common it is, how it progresses, and how it affects patients and families.
30,000
Incidence Rate
ALS affects about 20,000 people in the U.S., showing how rare it is and why awareness matters.
The lifetime risk of developing ALS is approximately 1 in 400.
ALS can affect anyone, although certain demographic groups are more likely to be affected
Treatment
For the vast majority of people with ALS, there are currently no treatments to stop or reverse disease progression, but researchers worldwide are working to change this. Treatments focus on:
Slowing disease progression
Managing symptoms and improving quality of life
Research continues to search for answers and better therapies
5
Average Survival
The average life expectancy after diagnosis is about 3 to 5 years, which shows how serious the disease is.
Facts:
People who have served in the military are almost 2X as likely to develop ALS.
About 85% of all ALS cases are sporadic, with no known family history of the disease. The remaining 15% of cases of ALS are known as familial ALS, which can be inherited
- ALS was first identified in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, but it gained national attention in the U.S. when baseball player Lou Gehrig was diagnosed in 1939.
- The disease affects motor neurons, which are responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movements like walking, talking, and chewing.
- ALS is classified into two types: sporadic and familial. Sporadic ALS is the most common form, accounting for 90-95% of all cases
Recognizing the symptoms early can be crucial for managing ALS.
Symptom Progression
ALS is not experienced in the same way among all those diagnosed. The manner and speed at which the disease moves throughout a person’s body can vary greatly, but early ALS symptoms may include:
- muscle cramps and muscle twitching
- weakness in hands, legs, feet, or ankles
- difficulty speaking or swallowing
These symptoms will continue to progress, eventually leading to paralysis.
The senses, including hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch, are not affected by ALS. In most cases of ALS, memory and thinking are not affected.