The Lou Gehrig disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, is characterized by a progressive loss of certain nervous cells of the brain and the spine. These cells are called motor neurons. Motor neurons command the volunteer muscles which make movement possible. ALS is a progressive disease which hardens movement and in most cases, it is fatal. Walking, Talking, eating, swallowing and other fundamental functions become more difficult in time.



These affections can cause lesions, diseases and other complications. One of 100.000 people develops ALS each year. Men are less affect than women. Even if it can appear at about any age, ALS is more common among elders. The causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are unknown. About 5 to 10% of the people suffering from ALS have an inherited form of this disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is not contagious.



If you are wondering what are symptoms of Lou Gehrig ’s disease, check this list: weakness and lack of precision in hands and feet, gradual loss of strength in hands and feet, the incapacity of voluntarily controlling your extremities, muscular spasms, unsure, rigid walking, difficulties in swallowing, talking and breathing, fatigue, muscular cramps, especially during the night, as well as pain in the final stages of the disease.

It is important to state that feeling weak, tired or having muscular spasms does not necessarily means that you have ALS. The first sign of ALS is, in most cases, weakness in your hands, feet or tongue. The answer to the question "what are symptoms of Lou Gehrig ’s disease" also need to be added with an increase of imprecision and difficulty in executing certain movements with your fingers or hands.

There can also be muscular spasms. The weakness will intensify during a period of months or years. This depends on each case. While the number of neurons decreases, the muscular cells start disappearing and the muscles start atrophying. Since ALS is a progressive disease, in time the muscles of the throat and chest become more and more atrophic, swallowing and coughing become difficult, and this can lead to aspiring the food and saliva in the trachea. This determines the appearance of pneumonia and the breathing affections get worse as the disease progresses, increasing the risk of infections and respiratory insufficiency.

Pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, respiratory insufficiency and cardiac insufficiency are the most common causes of death among patients with ALS. In most cases, death comes after 3 to 6 years from the first symptoms. Some individuals can actually live longer than that, up to some decades. But the symptoms and the effects of this disease make live almost impossible.



For individuals with ALS or for those who have a family member suffering from ALS it is recommended to learn as many things as possible about this disease and about the opportunities of care and treatment of patients with ALS. You should also take into account that what can be the proper treatment for an ALS patient can hurt another one. Some patients want to follow treatments which can assure a long life, while others are just searching for ways to ameliorate the effects of this disease.