Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a disorder causing progressive loss of nervous control of voluntary muscles because of destruction of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It's also known as Lou Gehrig's disease; ALS. It is a disorder involving loss of the use and control of muscles. The nerves controlling these muscles shrink and disappear, which results in loss of muscle tissue due to the lack of nervous stimulation. Muscle strength and coordination decreases, beginning with the voluntary muscles (those under conscious control, such as the muscles of the arms and legs). The extent of loss of muscle control continues to progress, and more and more muscle groups become involved. There may be a loss of nervous stimulation to semi-voluntary muscles, such as the muscles that control breathing and swallowing. There is no effect on ability to think or reason. The cause is unknown. ALS affects approximately 1 out of 100,000 people. It appears in some cases to run in families. The disorder affects men more often than women. Symptoms usually do not develop until adulthood, often not until after age 50. No prevention known. Genetic counseling may be advised if there is a family history of ALS. Symptoms are muscle weakness, decrease in muscle strength and coordination affecting the shoulder and upper arm or the hips and upper thigh, gradual onset progressively worsens commonly involves 1 limb (such as the hand) progresses to difficulty lifting, climbing stairs, and so on possible paralysis muscle cramps voice changes, hoarseness speech impairment, slow or abnormal speech pattern difficulty swallowing, gags or chokes easily difficulty breathing (increasing effort required to breathe) Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease: urinary frequency/urgency, increased muscle contractions muscle atrophy ankle, feet, and leg swelling ...
My aunt Celia (mums only sister) got sick in 1995 and the doctors gave her 6 months to live...well she is still hanging in there..it's kind of cruel that after like 20 years the two sisters finally live in the same country and I meet my aunt..and BOOM she gets sick like a year later..
Her girls were 14 and 15 when ALS came. At 18 her youngest moved to the capital to work and send money home and since then visits every weekend, whilst the oldest Lorena stays at home and has been her personal nurse since age 15, she is 26 now. She had a baby in March 2006. Her partner (since 1995)lives in the capital and they hope to all live together some day.
