What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – 08/08/2023 – Balance and Health

Actress Sandra Bullock was praised for the “incredible” way she looked after her longtime partner in his later years.

Bryan Randall died at age 57 after being diagnosed three years ago with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a disease that affects the nervous system in a degenerative and progressive way, causing irreversible motor paralysis.

In a statement, Randall’s family said they were “immensely grateful to the doctors.”

Randall’s death was first announced in a statement released by his family to People magazine.

The family said the photographer “chose early on to keep his journey with ALS private”, adding: “Those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request.”

“At this time, we ask for privacy to grieve and accept the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan.”

Sandra Bullock is known for films such as “Gravity”, “Miss Congeniality” and “Full Speed”. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2010 for “The Blind Side.”

What is ALS?

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease for which there is no cure.

It occurs when the neurons of patients affected by the disease wear out or die and are no longer able to send messages to the muscles.

This generates short and medium term weakening of muscles, involuntary contractions and inability to move arms, legs and body.

ALS usually starts with muscle spasms and weakness in an arm or leg, difficulty swallowing or slurred speech, but as it progresses it profoundly affects the ability to move, speak and even breathe.

Death usually occurs between three and five years after diagnosis. About 25% of patients survive for more than five years.

The exact cause of the disease is not yet known. A small number of cases are genetic/hereditary.

ALS is one of the main neurodegenerative diseases alongside Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Age is the most important predictive factor for its occurrence, being more prevalent in patients between 55 and 75 years old, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

The British physicist Stephen Hawking, who died in 2018, was one of the best known sufferers of ALS.

Symptoms usually start to appear after age 50, but they can also appear in younger people. Among other signs and symptoms, people with ALS have:

• Gradual loss of muscle strength and coordination;

• Inability to perform routine tasks, such as climbing stairs, walking and getting up;

• Difficulty breathing and swallowing;

• Diction problems, such as a slow or abnormal speech pattern (slurring of words)

• Voice changes, hoarseness;