What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease after Lou Gehrig, the famous New York Yankees baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS in the 1930s. ALS is a neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. With ALS, eventually all muscles under voluntary control are affected…patients lose strength and ability to move their arms, legs and body. When muscles in the chest fail, patients end up using a ventilator to breath and most people with ALS die from respiratory failure. It’s a frustrating disease for both patients and doctors. There are no clear risk factors in about 90 to 95 percent of all cases…and no cure. Usually ALS patients die within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However about 10 percent of patients survive 10 or more years. Watch more video about ALS or share your story or experience on video with icyou.

Icyou | August 6, 2008

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