This serious condition of adulthood occurs when muscles throughout the body gradually become weaker and begin to waste away. About 30,000 Americans have Lou Gehrig's disease, named in memory of the famous baseball star, who died of ALS in 1941.
The disorder starts with cramps and weakness in the hands and sometimes the feet. Weakness may attack on one side of the body more than the other. As time goes by, the muscles may tighten, which can lead to tremors and spasms. Patients eventually experience difficulty swallowing and breathing. Most people with ALS die within three to five years of onset.
In most instances, the cause of ALS is unknown. An inherited tendency to these disorders appears to be involved about 10% of cases. More men than women get this disease.
Muscle weakness without a loss of feeling often leads a doctor to test for ALS. Electromyography, which measures electrical activity in muscles, is used to find out whether the problem is nerve-related or muscle-related. Where the disorder appears in the body, early symptoms and changes in symptoms also help specialists diagnose Lou Gehrig's disease.
No specific cure is available at this time, but there are several methods available to improve quality of life. Physical therapy may help keep the muscles strong and prevent contraction. When swallowing difficulties occur, the patient risks choking while eating. In those cases, a feeding tube is used. Measures are available to ease breathing dysfunction, drooling and muscle spasms.
