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What is ALS?

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The nerve cells that control the movement of your muscles gradually die, so your muscles progressively weaken and begin to waste away. According to the ALS Association, almost two deaths per hundred thousand population annually are due to ALS. In the US, about 5,600 people are diagnosed with the condition every year, with an estimated 30,000 living with ALS at any one moment.

  • Muscle weakness

  • Coordination problems

  • Speech impairement

  • Apathy

  • Drooling

  • Muscle spasms

Symptoms
Causes

Currently, experts do not know precisely what causes ALS. It can affect anyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or geographical location.

 

Here are some possible factors that researchers say may play a role in development: 

 

  • Gene mutation- various genetic mutations can lead to inherited ALS, which appears nearly identical to the noninherited form.

  • Chemical imbalance- people with ALS generally have higher than normal levels of glutamate, a chemical messenger in the brain, around the nerve cells in their spinal fluid. Too much glutamate is known to be toxic to some nerve cells.

  • Disorganized immune response- sometimes a person's immune system begins attacking his or her body's own normal cells, which may lead to the death of nerve cells.

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