 |
 |
>Bruce, I have tried to find out what ALS is unsuccessfully. Maybe you can >help. ??????Thank you. ALS stand for Amyetrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It is a progressive neurological disorder in which motor neurons (the nerve cells which control movement) die. This leads to loss of any muscle control or movement. Patients essentially become gradually paralyzed. There is no effective treatment and no cure. Care consists of supporting patients as well as possible to prevent complicatoins of the disease (supplying walkers/wheelchairs as needed, assistance in feeding, placing on ventilators [breathing machines]). Patients usually die of respiratory complications (i.e. pneumonia) as their breathing muscles become weaker and weaker. As Bruce stated, most patients die within 3 to 5 years. It is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease for one of the earliest famous sufferers of the disease. While Parkinson's disease has no cure, at least there are treatments which decrease the symptoms and give a longer, more functional life. So in comparison, I guess it is not unreasonable to say that Parkinson's is better than ALS (if you are forced to pick one to have). Hope this helps... :) Faye Armstrong-Paap, MD [log in to unmask]