The diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was recently disclosed by Eric Dane. “ALS is the diagnosis I received. As we embark on this new chapter, I am thankful to have my devoted family by my side,” the 52-year-old actor said Thursday in an interview with People Magazine.
The actor from “Euphoria” said he is grateful to be able to keep working and is excited to be back on the set next week. Dane, who portrays the day of the Jacobs family in “Euphoria”, will start filming season three
The HBO show will air on April 14. The actor is also popular for his role in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. “I kindly ask that you give my family and me privacy during this time,” he said.
George Geraldine, 13, and Billie Beatrice, 15, are the couple’s two children. Eric Dane is married to Rebecca Gayheart.
What is ALS?
Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are impacted by the progressive neurodegenerative illness known as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
Progressive means that as time passes, the symptoms worsen. ALS, formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects motor neurons, which are brain and spinal cord nerve cells that regulate voluntary breathing and muscle movement.
The muscles weaken, begin to twitch, and atrophy as a result of motor neurons dying and degenerating because they are no longer able to communicate with the muscles.
ALS has no recognised cause. According to scientists, ALS is caused by a variety of factors, including genetics and environmental exposures. ALS patients eventually lose the brain’s capacity to start and regulate voluntary actions, including breathing, talking, chewing, and walking.
The early symptoms of the disease include:
- Muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue
- Muscle cramps
- Tight and stiff muscles
- Muscle weakness affecting an arm, a leg, or the neck
- Slurred and nasal speech
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing.
Muscle atrophy and weakness begin to spread to other areas of the body as the condition worsens, resulting in symptoms like:
- Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing and chewing food
- Salivation
- Using words or speaking (dysarthria)
- Dyspnea or breathing
- Unintentional emotional outbursts, such as laughing or crying (pseudobulbar symptoms)
- Constipation
- Keeping a healthy weight and consuming adequate nutrients
ALS is more common in men than in women, notwithstanding its rarity. According to estimates from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer than 30,000 Americans are estimated to have ALS; approximately 5000 persons receive a diagnosis from their physician each year.
