What You Need to Know about ALS and the Late Steven Hawking

What You Need to Know About ALS and the Late Steven Hawking

107	March 15, 2018 • 927 views

Steven Hawking passed away this week at age 76, but his impact on our knowledge of the universe will echo through the canyons of time and to areas still beyond our understanding. His mind roamed far and wide across the expanses of existence, shattering and redefining the boundaries of knowledge from his wheelchair for five decades.  

The joy and excitement he felt for his work inspired him to write about theoretical physics in a way that was accessible to the general public. He succeeded and his 1988 book, “A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes,” has sold over 10 million copies. 

A world renowned theoretical physicist, his credentials were beyond reproach, but he owed some of his fame outside of academic circles to his remarkable battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His charisma and perseverance captured the public’s imagination.

As MSN reported, there is no easy explanation for how he survived with ALS for 50 years. He was first diagnosed in 1963 at the age of 21. The average life expectancy is about a year and only 10 percent of patients live more than a decade. Lou Gehrig only lived for two years after his diagnosis and died at age 38. The typical age of diagnosis is 55 and it has been suggested that his younger age may have allowed his body to cope better with the ravages of this debilitating disease. 

Many ALS sufferers require a ventilator, which Hawking did not, and eventually succumb to respiratory failure. Inability to swallow and therefore eat is another dangerous condition associated with ALS. Hawking also received 24-hour nursing care, which was paid for by grants. Plus, his career as a theoretical physicist afforded him a level of flexibility and accommodation for his condition. 

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks the motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. Motor neurons control your voluntary movements and the condition results in a loss of muscle control and movement. Movement in this case not only includes the arms and legs, but eventually breathing. 

The ALS Association listed a number of subtle early symptoms of ALS that may be overlooked: muscle weakness, speech difficulties, difficulty chewing and swallowing, excessive choking, shortness of breath, hand or leg weakness, loss of balance, fatigue and even periods of uncontrollable laughing and crying. ALS only impacts the motor neurons, so the muscles of the bladder and eyes are generally not affected. The senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch are also not impacted. 

ALS has no easy cure. Current treatment protocols focus on addressing the symptoms and there is some dispute as to the cause of ALS. It is viewed as a genetic disorder in mainstream medicine, but there is a disturbing connection between ALS and statins. Statin drugs are notorious for causing side effects like muscle damage and weakness. What has been less publicized is a potential link between statins and a progression of muscle wasting that may lead to a diagnosis of ALS. 

ALS is also quite difficult to diagnose and differentiate from a wide range of similar but treatable disorders. There is no single definitive test for ALS but, instead, the diagnosis is derived from a detailed examination of the symptoms. One condition that can be mistaken for ALS is Lyme disease. Often called the great imitator, it can mimic a wide array of conditions such as arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and of course ALS. 

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by ticks that have previously fed on an infected host. However, some top authorities on Lyme disease, such as Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, warn the bacteria that cause the disease may also be spread by other insects such as fleas, mosquitoes, mites and spiders.

Lyme disease remains one of the most serious and controversial epidemics today. The disease usually starts with fatigue, fever, headaches and joint or muscle pain. It can then progress to muscle spasms, loss of motor coordination, intermittent paralysis, meningitis and even heart problems. Lyme disease was named after the east coast town of Lyme, Connecticut, where the illness was first identified in 1975.

Although chronic Lyme disease is more widely recognized as an actual disease, there continues to be resistance in the medical community and with insurers. Sufferers are often told the problem is psychiatric. Click here for more information on the stages and treatment of Lyme disease.