Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is also known as the Lou Gehrig’s disease. This disease is a neuromuscular disease that is progressive in nature. This disease causes the progressive degeneration of nerve cells that control your motor skills present in the spinal cord and the brain.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare form of neurological disease, which attacks nerve cells that control the voluntary muscle movements you make. Voluntary muscles movements include chewing, breathing, walking, and talking.
When the motor neurons become decapacitated, they are unable to send signals to your muscles. This causes the muscles to wear away (atrophy). The muscles become weak. ALS does not impair a person’s intellectual reasoning, vision, hearing or sense of taste, smell and touch. In most cases, ALS does not affect a person’s sexual, bowel or bladder functions.
Since the disease is progressive, it will get worse over time despite treatment.
Symptoms
The ALS may show early signs and symptoms. These will include:
- Trouble swallowing
- Slurred speech
- Clumsiness or weakness in the hands
- Trouble in walking or performing everyday tasks
- Tripping and/or falling
- Weakness in ankles, feet, or legs
- Twitching or cramps in the muscles of tongue, shoulder and arms
- Problem in holding the head up or maintain normal posture
Often, ALS will begin in the limbs, hands, and feet before spreading to other body parts. As the disease progresses it may become difficult to even perform the most basic routine tasks on your own. Visit a doctor as soon as you can.
Recommended Supplements
While eating a healthy diet and regular exercise helps to manage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, it is not enough to keep you fit and healthy. Supplements are essential for managing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and reducing its symptoms. But it should be kept in mind that supplements should not be used to replace the treatment for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It is not always true that natural products are safe for use. Many products can react with your body and produce an adverse reaction. Thus, it is better to be safe and consult your before starting to use any supplements for managing your condition.
The following supplements have proven to benefit people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: