ALS

It begins innocuously enough with a subtle weakening of the muscle control in a hand or foot or it could just as easily begin by affecting the muscles around the throat making it just slightly more difficult to swallow or breath. Once begun however this illness typically progresses very quickly, until within a few short years muscle control has completely failed throughout the entire body. Twitching of muscles and difficulty of speech are other common symptoms during the progression of this disease. Unless artificial respiration is employed in the later stages, death through suffocation becomes the ultimate end.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis was first described in 1869 by a French neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot. This disease, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease, affects the motor neuron system, but leaves the sensory nerve system completely intact. The five senses are not affected in the slightest. A person suffering with ALS can see, hear, smell, taste and know the physical sensation of touch just as well as they could before the onset of this appallingly debilitating disease. Although there are some rare exceptions, the far greater percentage of people retain their full mental facility. Stephen Hawking, the brilliant Cambridge Physicist for instance, has made significant contributions to our understanding of the universe in general and black holes in particular, despite the fact that his body has been rendered thoroughly useless for anything other than a vessel to keep his brain alive. He has gone so far as to comment even, that his severely deteriorated physical condition has allowed him to focus more intensely on the problems of Quantum Mechanics.

There is no test positive for ALS, and a diagnosis is only made through a series of tests designed to eliminate the possibility of other diseases with comparable symptoms. For this reason ALS is a frequent misdiagnosis of an entirely different disease. Lyme Disease is a classic example of one which can present in exactly the same manner as ALS. There is a greater general awareness and understanding in the United States than there is in Canada for Lyme Disease , therefore it follows that the more effective testing methods will be found in the United States.

Second and third opinions or the further progression of symptoms are often required before an accurate assessment is made. ALS, though similar to MS (Multiple Sclerosis) in that it is a motor neuron disease, is not nearly as common as MS is. This is another reason for the difficulty in establishing early identification of ALS. It has been known to develop within people in their twenties although if it is to manifest in a person at all, it will most likely arise once they`re into their forties or fifties.

Reviewing these notes five years after they have been written brings with it a different perspective entirely. It was interesting rereading my original script. Here is an exerpt from that original script.

'Mercifully there is no physical pain associated with ALS but the thought of being trapped inside one's own rapidly deteriorating body can be a terrible emotional burden.'

Firstly, suffering 'a terrible emotional burden' was an understatement. There have been periods of unimagineable anguish. But, the glaring issue was my original comment that there is no pain. An unfortunate side effect of losing one's motor nervous system while the sensory nervous system remains intact, and because of the immobility and resulting pressure on the body, is a pain so intense that Jackie will scream out.

It is a frightfully malicious disease that can easily rob people of their dignity in limiting their ability and freedom to take care of themselves. Strangely, uncontrollable fits of both laughing and crying are commonly associated with ALS. These emotional outbursts can not be explained by the understandable mental anguish of someone suffering with ALS, and are a bewilderment even to them.

Though these last few years have seen a dramatic increase in medical research and subsequent understanding of ALS, there is still little known about the biological mechanism that causes it. Some of this research has focused on a particular mutated gene, but only a very small percentage of ALS cases can be accounted for in this way. It is also true that ALS is hereditary in approximately 10 percent of all cases, even though this knowledge still does not shed any light on a cause for the breakdown of the motor neurons. Possible envirnomental risk factors have been identified through various studies, and though not yet conclusive, evidence seems to suggest that mercury toxicity may cause some people to become more predisposed to the disease. Decreased glutathione levels have also been observed in persons with ALS. Increased glutamate levels have been correlated with the onset of ALS as well.

Much research and testing is now being conducted toward finding the cause and the cure for ALS. To someone with a passionate interest in studying this disease, correlation and statistics are not simply powerful tools, presently they may be the only tools with which to glean any practical insights with. Recent research has identified co-infections as being prevalent in people with ALS. It is speculated that specific viruses and bacteria coupled with a particular, even subtle toxicity, can cause the immune system to become compromised in such a way that the motor neuron cells are prone to attack.

At present the only conventional treatment is Riluzole, a drug that has been shown to slightly slow the progression and briefly extend the life of those ALS sufferers who also test positive for high glutamate levels. Not enough research has been done yet to conclusively determine the effects of a detoxification and supplementation program. Hopefully, this avenue will soon be explored in depth. Alternative treatment protocols offer a sincere hope to those who have been told to prepare for a lingering and frightening death. Gene therapy and stem cells are two very promising areas of research but much work is required before clinical trials are approved for humans. ALS, like any and all human afflictions does have both a cause and a cure. It is reassuring to know that progress is being made every day toward understanding this disease, coming up with effective treatment, and even finding a cure.

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