Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, also called Lou Gehrig's disease.
ALS leads to the loss of muscle control required to move, speak, and breathe.
Symptoms of ALS
ALS is often painless in maximum affected people; however, the symptoms vary from person to person and depend on which nerve cells are affected.
The symptoms include weakness in legs, feet, and ankles, clumsiness, Slurred speech, laughing or yawning, behavioural changes, and more.
It also affects swallowing, speaking and chewing.
Causes of ALS
ALS affects the nerve cells leading to the loss of voluntary muscles, including talking and moving. Notably, motor neurons are divided into two groups, ALS deteriorates both groups and damages them.
Up to 10% are affected with ALS due to genetic inheritance. For the rest, the cause is still unknown.
Risk factors of ALS
Here are a few risk factors for ALS:
Genetics:
As mentioned earlier, 10% of the affected people have hereditary ALS, and their children have a 50% chance of developing this fatal disease.
Age:
Individuals aged 75 and are at higher risk of developing ALS and the disease is most prevalent in older ages.
Sex:
Before the age of 65, men are usually prone to develop ALS. However, the sex difference appears after 70.
