Be Alert For Symptoms Of Als: Knowing When To Seek Treatment
The symptoms of ALS are generally not easily diagnosed and are most often attributed to other neuromuscular ailments
. ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurological disease that affects the neurons in the brain responsible for muscular functioning. In the United States, this disease is also known as Lou Gehrigs disease or motor neuron disease (MND) in the UK. There are about half a million ALS patients all over the world today with varying stages of ALS. Although there are no known cures for ALS today, there are various groups and organizations that spearhead programs to help fund and further the cause of finding more effective treatments for ALS and of helping patients improve their quality of life.
Knowing what symptoms of ALS you have to watch out for could get you started early with the various treatments and therapies that you can go through in order to delay the loss of neuromuscular functioning and to lengthen your productive period before the disease renders you unable to perform even the simplest everyday tasks. At the onset, ALS manifests with muscle twitching and weakness usually in the limbs or the arms and legs along with speech defects like slurring. Aside from being symptoms of ALS, these symptoms could also be symptoms of other diseases, and diagnosing ALS is normally done through a process of eliminating these other possible diseases. Once the presence of any other disease is ruled out, ALS is diagnosed and the necessary treatment and therapy is recommended. As the neurons that control muscle movement degenerate, progressive weakening of the muscles is experienced until such time when the respiratory muscles are affected to cause respiratory failure and death.
Among the sensations that can indicate ALS is generalized weakness in the legs, feet or ankles. A particular manifestation of this symptom is what is called as a foot drop or having difficulties lifting the foot and the toes, causing the leg to drop and drag when you walk. Weakness in the hands is also one of the symptoms of ALS you should take note of along with slurred speach or difficulty in swallowing. Cramping and twitching in the arms, shoulders, and tongue are also signs of ALS. These symptoms progress and affect other parts of the body eventually causing paralysis. Other factors that should alert a person experiencing these symptoms to the need to seek diagnostic procedures to detect or rule out ALS would include family history of ALS, exposure to lead, metals, and other toxic elements, serving in the military, and indications of chemical imbalance.
Although there is very little treatment available for people with ALS today, help is available out there that can possibly delay full muscular degeneration and to improve the quality of life of ALS patients. Life with ALS is definitely not easy, but knowing the symptoms of ALS and getting diagnosed with the disease as soon as possible will allow the patient to prepare for what is to come mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially. Hopefully, with the various medical researches being done, an effective treatment will be found soon and increase the survival rate of patients with ALS. For more information visit us www.army.oftenawesome.org
by: Cynthia Bennett
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