Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive and degenerative disease that affects the nervous system. It attacks those cells within the spinal cord and brain that control the movement of muscles. It does not, however, affect any of the senses like sight or hearing. Nor does ALS usually affect the bladder or the bowel.There is currently no cure for ALS, and most patients survive for two to five years after the first appearance of their symptoms. About ten percent survive for ten years or longer. The physicist Stephen Hawking, 76, has survived for over 50 years. He has a very rare early-onset form that progresses extremely slowly. A patient’s life expectancy depends on if and when their swallowing muscles and/or diaphragm are affected. If they’re not, the patient can survive for years or even decades.
