Are Alzheimer’s and ALS related?

Are Alzheimer’s and ALS related? 

As of right now, researchers do not see a link between Alzheimer’s and ALS.  Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain where gradually a person forgets their memories. Common symptoms are confusion and memory loss. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the spinal cord and muscles.  Patients with ALS muscles get weaker and weaker over time. ALS patients will lose the ability to walk, raise their hands, and sit up. Not all patients with ALS will suffer from memory loss; in fact, many people retain their memory.  Patients with Alzheimer’s often do not suffer any issues with their muscles or spinal cord. Although they have similar symptoms,  they are two very different diseases.

There is some research showing that both diseases may share a common genetic connection.  Between these diseases, there are two important commonalities between the diseases. They both are progressive, which means they get worse over time and that, as of right now, there is no cure.  No one can predict how fast or slow the disease will progress. Some people live a long time with these diseases, and some do not. For both diseases, there are medications to slow the progression of the disease. Patients with ALS can get a form of dementia that can appear to look like Alzheimer’s. Having a loved one with either disease is very hard.   To learn more about ALS, you can go to the ALS Associations' website: https://www.als.org/.   For Alzheime r’s, you can go to the Alzheimer’s Associations' website: https://act.alz.org/site/. There is support for both diseases for patients, caregivers, and family.  The emotions of having to deal with loved ones with a serious terminal illness can be the same. Sadness, anger, asking why this is happening, fear, and anxiety are all common emotions through a loved one's illness. Your loved one probably has the same emotions. Some people feel almost nothing at all a numbness during caring for their loved ones. This can be a sign that the body is overwhelmed and not sure how to handle these emotions. It is important to find support during this time. Friends, family, support groups, and therapists are good places to find support.  People tend to try and handle terminal illness on their own, and it becomes too much. This is a time where everyone will need support.