ALS: Breaking the Ice
By Ezel Lambatan
It started as a challenge--and ended up as a viral internet advocacy.
Today, millions of dollars have been raised to further advance the knowledge of the people of ALS-a silent killer.
Just recently, viral videos of famous celebrities, politicians, and mostly common people (through social media) have been running around the internet taking the challenge to pour a bucket of ice on their heads to spark up an advocacy against ALS.
Admit it- you almost had yourself videographed pouring a bucket of ice on your head after being tagged by the challenge through a friend or a family member. For some reason, you saw people doing it, convinced to conform to the trend, nominated your peers and did the challenge yourself.
The strategies in promoting ALS were beyond success. However, majority of the people who were doing the challenge didn’t seem to fully recognize the bigger cause behind this game-changing sensation. The concern of spreading the awareness of the disease wasn’t even a priority to some. The acceptance of this challenge also entails a responsibility to donate money ($100) to fund to the organization spearheading the research of the said disease.
Unfortunately, in such a way, it ended up as a source of entertainment.
The Science behind ALS
ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It is a disease that causes in rapid progressive weakness and the loss of the ability to control muscles throughout the body. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is derived from the Greek term; A, which means no or negative, myo or muscle, and trophic which nourishment. It will simply sound as “no muscle improvement”
Lateral are areas in the spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As the lateral deteriorates, it leads to scarring or hardening (or sclerosis) in the affected part. Sclerosis is any pathological hardening or thickening of tissue
Motor Neurons are nerve cells that control muscle movement. As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Eventually, when motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive deterioration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to the victim’s death.
Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, including speech, swallowing or breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (become smaller). Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies. Therefore, when voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
The feeling of ice-cold water over the body is said to be similar to the numbing effect of ALS.
A thief in the night
ALS is considered to be one of the rare diseases in the world. Rare it may sound, but this disease also homes for a significant number symptomatic and asymptomatic mortality rate in the world.
Limb onset is the difficulty in arm activities such as writing or typing. On the other hand, bulbar onset is the difficulty in speaking clearly or swallowing.
There are also rumors linking the too much intake of Glutamate as the impending factor for the acquisition of the disease. Glutamate, commonly known as vetsin; is a popular seasoning used to modify a food’s taste.
As for now, a drug has been developed to at least prolong the life of persons with ALS for several months; Riluzole, an antiglutanole drug. Developed in 1995, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use which is believed to reduce damage to motor neurons. Unfortunately, it does not repair already-damaged motor neurons.
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The initial objective of creating such challenge was to raise enough funds to further address the rising and threatening effects of this disease. The strategy to raise awareness and gather enough help to further advance the research of study was more than a blockbuster hit. Setting aside buckets of water wasted for the popularity of this challenge, the main reason why you should care about ALS is because it occurs in all races and all around the world. ALS can strike anyone, because it occurs throughout the world wit
h no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. It should be taken seriously.
Sources:
www.ALSA.net
www.ALS.net
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
ALS Philippines
