"Familial", ALS suggests the disease is inherited, although no heredity pattern exists in the majority of ALS cases. About 5 to 10 percent of all ALS patients appear to have a genetic or inherited component. In those families, 50 percent of the all offspring are expected to have the disease.

Most who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70. There have been many cases of the disease attacking teenagers, though generally, ALS occurs in greater percentages as men and women grow older.

It was once believed that men developed ALS more frequently than women. That no longer appears to be the case, and today both sexes are affected in nearly equal numbers.

With the hands and feet affected first, it causes difficulty in walking or using the hands for the activities of daily living, such as dressing, washing and buttoning clothes.

Since ALS affects only motor neurons, the senses of sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell, muscles of the eyes and bladder are generally not affected.

As the weakening and paralysis continues to spread to the muscles of the trunk of the body, it eventually affects swallowing, chewing and breathing. When the breathing muscles are affected, the patient may require permanent ventilatory support to survive. The mind is not impaired and remains sharp, despite the progressive degenerating condition of the body.

There is a man named Kevin Turner he owns The Kevin Turner Foundation and him himself has Lou Gehrig's disease. He is trying to find a cure for this disease. We hope he finds a cure fast.