Finding Ways For Living And Coping With Als

Signs, Symptoms & Diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

According to the ALS Association, ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease which is a disease that causes the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to degenerate, is diagnosed in approximately 5,500 people in America each year. Those who are affected the most are men while pre-menopausal women are affected less even though after menopause, those affected appear to equalize, numerically speaking. This means finding ways of living and coping with ALS are essential to a high quality of life.

Since the early signs of ALS are so subtle, they usually go unnoticed. Signs may be as subtle as a little difficulty when trying to speak or even something as minor as tripping over the edge of a carpet. As the disease continues to progress however, muscle weakness, cramping and tremors may exhibit. Since this is a progressive disease, everyone who is affected by ALS will eventually become paralyzed which means finding ways to deal with ALS is a challenge for everyone involved.

Since the initial symptoms with the onset of ALS are so difficult to recognize and diagnose, testing procedures are extensive. Tests to diagnose ALS includes urine samples, blood tests, CAT scans, muscle biopsies, MRI's, nerve conduction tests and can even include hormone tests. Blood tests and neurological evaluations coupled with an EMG study typically are used to diagnose ALS. Testing for thyroid disease, Lyme disease, vitamin deficiencies and even spherical spinal disease may be used to eliminate ALS mimicking ailments.

Home Management for ALS Victims

Even though the life expectancy for someone who is diagnosed with ALS is between 2 to 5 years, there are ways to extend that. The keys to finding ways to cope with ALS are to have great supporting in-home caregivers that will help in maintaining a high quality of life. Once the initial shock of the diagnosis passed, creating a home health plan to deal with ALS is essential to keeping that quality of life as high as possible. Once diagnosed, home life will essentially be normal which means the patient can continue to work and participate in normal activities.

However, there will come a time when those with ALS will require assistance from others. Either a spouse or family member or an in-home caregiver will have to provide day-to-day help for the patient as they will no longer be able to keep up with their own needs. Eventually caregivers will have to care for all their needs. Dealing with day-to-day functions like shopping, cleaning, yard work, cooking or even eating will be handled by others and coping with these responsibilities will have to be done by caregivers.

Living With ALS: Encouragement for All

As with any degenerative disease, those who live with ALS and for those who help, the only way to handle it is to deal with it one day at a time. Research shows that a small percentage of ALS victims can live more than ten years after diagnosis which can give hope of a long life, but taking it one day at a time provides the best way of coping with ALS.