As: what you should know about the incurable disease

The nerve disease is likely to be known to many by physicist Stephen Hawking and a few years ago the so -called Ice Bucket Challenge. Most recently, the death of Sandra Bullock’s partner Bryan Randall caused great sympathy.

What is as?

According to the German Society for Muscle Disease (DGM), about one to two out of 100,000 people fall abbreviated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis per year. Over time, those affected mainly lose any control over their muscles. Abs affected by advanced disease are often described as “trapped in your own body”. According to the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (Dzne), the disease is always fatal.

How does it comment as?

As concerns the motor nervous system that controls our muscles and controls movements. According to the DGM, the first symptoms are, for example, muscle loss and weakness in the muscles of the hand or forearm, less often also of the lower leg, the feet, upper arm or shoulder muscles. The disease continues steadily over the years and gradually leads to increasing breathing problems.

How do you live with as?

According to the DGM, the disease usually begins between the ages of 50 and 70, and younger adults are rarely affected. Men get a little more than women. As of today, status is considered incurable and according to the DGM, life expectancy is reduced to three to four years on average. However, very slow courses over 10 years and more – as with Stephen Hawking – are known.

How is it diagnosed?

As a nerve disease, neurologists are diagnosed. The muscles are examined and electromyography (EMG) is carried out to measure the electrical activity of the muscles. There are also further investigations to exclude other diseases.

What is resolving?

According to the Dzne, the disease is inherited in about five percent of the ALS patients. With the majority of the diseases, the causes of the disease have so far been insufficiently known.