What Is ALS?

Ice Bucket Challenge 

ALS acronym stands for, Amnyotropic Lateral Sclerosis also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord as these areas degenerate, it leads to scarring and hardening in the region motor neurons that reach the brain to the spinal cord, and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their demise when the motor neurons die the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. When voluntary muscle action is progressively affected people may lose their ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. Examples of voluntary movements are making the effort to reach for a smart phone or step off a curb. These actions are controlled by muscles in the arms and legs. ALS affects every person differently from the start of the disease to the progression. Typical life expectancy is 2 to 5 years but people can live many more years depending on progression of their disease. Most individuals die due to respiratory failure. Currently there is no cure at this time there are a few medication's to slow the progression and there is a lot of research happening with hope of a cure.

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