All About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. It was named Lou Gehrig's disease after a baseball player was diagnosed with it.

Amyotrophic disease is one of the most common types of motor neuron disease. ALS affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This effect on nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord causes a loss of muscle control. There is no cure for ALS yet. ALS affects the nerve cells (motor neurons) that control voluntary muscle movements such as walking and speech. ALS gradually degrades and kills motor neurons. Motor neurons span the brain, spinal cord, and muscles throughout the body. When motor neurons are damaged, they stop sending messages to the muscles and interfere with muscle function.


Symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 


Symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis depend on which neuron is impacted and also vary from person to person. ALS when progresses causes muscle weakness, but in its initial stages, the symptoms are barely noticeable. 


However, there are some common symptoms of ALS which might include;


  • Difficulty walking

  • Difficulty doing daily life activity

  • Twitching in arms or legs

  • Muscles cramping 

  • Cognitive changes

  • Behavioral changes

  • Slurred speech 

  • Difficulty in swallowing 

  • Weakness in your legs or arms 


ALS results in nerve damage contributing to muscle weakness. If someone is experiencing the above-mentioned symptoms then visiting a neurologist in south Delhi is advised. 


Possible Causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 


There are no solid causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis known yet. However, there may be some risk factors and possible causes that can lead to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These may include;


  1. Age: Age is one of the risk factors in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS). ALS progresses with age. ALS is also common in people aged between the 40s and 60s. 


  1. Gender: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is slightly more common in men than in women before the age of 65. After hitting the age of 65 this difference has no ground. 


Besides these risk factors, there are some other studied possible environmental factors that might be associated with the cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These might include;


  • military service

  • Heightened levels of exercise or physical activity

  • Openness to high amounts of agricultural chemicals

  • Openness to high levels of different metals such as lead


Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 


The diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis collective on many factors, a single test won’t be able to help diagnose ALS. Factors like a person's symptoms combined with a couple of tests would help diagnose ALS.  


The Tests that the best neurologist in south ex may help diagnose ALS are:


  • electromyography, 

  • nerve conduction study


Electromyography(EMG) is a diagnostic procedure. It is used to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them (motor neurons). EMG results can reveal nerve dysfunction, muscle dysfunction or problems with nerve-to-muscle signal transmission while NCV(nerve conduction velocity) test on the other hand measures the speed and strength through which the electrical impulse travels through the nerve.
Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India

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