What is ALS? An update on the disease afflicting Dwight Clark
Dwight Clark, a former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, said Sunday that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.
Clark, 60, said he underwent months of testing after first experiencing weakness in his left hand in September 2015.
Here's an explainer on what ALS is and what a diagnosis means:
What is ALS?
ALS is short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the ALS Association.
Over time, those with the disease, which affects nerves and muscle use, can lose the ability to move and communicate.
ALS is typically diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 70, and around 20,000 Americans have the disease at a given time, according to the ALS Association.
Those diagnosed with ALS usually live 3-5 years after diagnosis, though some may live longer, according to the association.
What does Lou Gehrig have to do with the disease?
ALS was first discovered in 1869 by French Neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. Almost 70 years later, in 1938, Yankees baseball super-star Lou Gehrig began having trouble on the field and with simple tasks like tying his shoelaces, according to the ALS Association. A year after he first noticed the strange symptoms, he was diagnosed with ALS.
The disease is often referred to as ALS or "Lou Gehrig's disease."
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but typically involved muscle weakness, stiffness or slurred speech, according to Mayo Clinic.
The disease is progressive, and eventually results in total lack of movement and the ability to speak or breathe.
Who gets the disease?
According to the ALS Association, the disease is typically not hereditary.
"Most of the time ALS is not inherited," according to the association. "In about 90% of cases, the person is the only member of the family with the disease. These cases are called “sporadic ALS”. The cause of sporadic ALS is not well understood, but may be due to a combination of environmental and genetic risk factors."
Is there a cure?
There is no cure, according to Mayo Clinic.
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