MAY IS ALS AWARENESS MONTH

Together ... we will CURE ALS!

What is ALS?
     ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a neurological disease that affects motor neurons—those nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement -- the muscles we choose to move to produce movements like chewing, walking, and talking. The disease is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time. 
     As motor neurons degenerate and die, they stop sending messages to the muscles, which causes the muscles to weaken, start to twitch, and waste away. Eventually, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control voluntary movements.
     ALS has no cure and there is no effective treatment to reverse its progression.
What are the early symptoms?
  • Muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue
  • Muscle cramps
  • Tight and stiff muscles (spasticity)
  • Muscle weakness affecting an arm, a leg, the neck, or diaphragm
  • Slurred and nasal speech
  • Difficulty chewing or swallowing
How does ALS affect the body?
     As the disease progresses, muscle weakness and atrophy spread to other parts of your body:
  • Difficulty or inability to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms
  • Chewing food and swallowing 
  • Speaking or forming words
  • Breathing and becoming dependent a ventilator
  • Maintaining weight and malnourishment
     Although not as common, people with ALS may also:
  • Experience problems with language or decision-making
  • Develop a form of dementia over time
     Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within three to five years from when the symptoms first appear. However, about 10 percent of people with ALS survive for a decade or more.
How is ALS diagnosed?
     There is no single test that can definitely diagnose ALS. Multiple tests are performed to rule out other diseases with similar symptoms.
How is ALS treated?
     There are several medications that have been approved by the FDA for use with those with ALS. Because ALS is a disease that is different for each person, there is no guarantee that any of these medications will have a positive effect on those using them. There is no treatment to reverse or stop ALS. 
     Other medications may be prescribed to help manage muscle cramps, stiffness, excess saliva and phlegm, and unwanted episodes of crying and/or laughing, or other emotional displays. Medications may also help with any pain, depression, sleep disturbances, and constipation.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
FUND RESEARCH
While the past decade has seen a dramatic expansion in ALS research, advances in knowledge about the disease, and the use of technology in research, there is no treatment to reverse or stop ALS. 
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SPREAD AWARENESS
Tell your family, friends, and co-workers about your connection to ALS and why funding research is important.
REACH OUT TO SOMEONE IMPACTED BY ALS
​Reach out to someone impacted by ALS in some way and let them know that you are thinking of them.
Who is more likely to get ALS?
     Risk factors for ALS include:
  • Age—Although the disease can strike at any age, symptoms most commonly develop between the ages of 55 and 75.
  • Males are slightly more likely to develop ALS. However, as people age, the difference between the sexes disappears.
  • Race and ethnicity—Caucasians and non-Hispanics are most likely to develop the disease, but ALS affects people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.
  • Some studies suggest that military veterans are about one and half to two times more likely to develop ALS.
     Sporadic and Familial ALS
  • Nearly all cases of ALS are considered sporadic, meaning they seem to occur at random with no clearly associated risk factors and no family history of the disease. 
  • About five to 10 percent of all ALS cases are familial (also called inherited or genetic). Mutations in more than a dozen genes have been found to cause familial ALS.
Contact Us: Info@WeWillCureALS.com
CURE ALS - 600 Bridlewood Court - Irving, TX 75063