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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis like any disease comes about as a malfunction of
one or more of your bodies systems. Much if not most of the
time this is a result of a slow degenerative process due to the
lack of adequate bodily supplies of the elements necessary for
normal function and rejuvenation of affected organs. Commercial
Farming and natural erosion has depleted global farmlands of most
essential elements therefore it is not wise to assume that your
diet contains enough of these elements for normal body function
and maintenance. See
Senate Document 264.
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What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease,
is a progressive, fatal neurological disease affecting as many as 20,000
Americans with 5,000 new cases occurring in the United States each year.
The disorder belongs to a class of disorders known as motor neuron
diseases. ALS occurs when specific nerve cells in the brain and spinal
cord that control voluntary movement gradually degenerate. The loss of
these motor neurons causes the muscles under their control to weaken and
waste away, leading to paralysis. ALS manifests itself in different
ways, depending on which muscles weaken first. Symptoms may include
tripping and falling, loss of motor control in hands and arms,
difficulty speaking, swallowing and/or breathing, persistent fatigue,
and twitching and cramping, sometimes quite severely. ALS strikes in
mid-life. Men are about one-and-a-half times more likely to have the
disease as women.
Is there any
treatment?
There is no cure for ALS; nor is there a proven therapy that will
prevent or reverse the course of the disorder. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) recently approved riluzole, the first drug that has
been shown to prolong the survival of ALS patients. Patients may also
receive supportive treatments that address some of their symptoms.
What is the
prognosis?
ALS is usually fatal within five years after diagnosis.
What
research is being done?
The NINDS supports a broad range of studies aimed at discovering the
cause(s) of ALS, finding better treatments, and ultimately preventing
and curing the disorder.
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The
Whole Story