In summer 2014, as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was raising unprecedented awareness and funds for the fight against the disease, Liz Murray did not know that she was about to become part of the ALS community. Her diagnosis was confirmed later that year.
When Christian James was heading to the neurologist at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, his son, a student at UC at the time, met up with him for the appointment.
A comprehensive list of the terms used to describe ALS, its symptoms, and other factors that will be a part of patients' and caregivers' lives after diagnosis.
On June 2, 1941, the U.S. lost one of its greatest heroes, Lou Gehrig, to a disease that would become synonymous with his name. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), thereafter, would also be known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gehrig played with the New York Yankees for 17 years and received the moniker “The Iron Horse” due to his ability to play baseball despite suffering from a variety of injuries.
A diagnosis of ALS is life-changing. The ALS Association recommends that every person diagnosed with the disease seek a second opinion. The only way you can begin to accept an ALS diagnosis is to be certain it’s correct and that conditions that look like or mimic ALS are considered and excluded.
ALS is difficult to diagnose, and symptoms vary and progress quite differently from person to person. Early symptoms can include muscle or vocal changes.
Once ALS starts, it almost always progresses. Most people with ALS eventually lose the ability to walk, dress, write, speak, swallow and breathe, and their life span is shortened.
About two-thirds of individuals with familial ALS and 10% of people with sporadic or singleton ALS (with no known family history) have a known ALS-associated genetic mutation. If you have familial ALS, a genetic test may help you determine what's causing your ALS, as well as the risk of disease in your family members.
There are two major categories of ALS cases. Familial ALS (FALS) – which refers to cases where there is a known family history of the disease – accounts for 5-10% of all cases in the U.S.