- The writer also confirmed that he was diagnosed with the condition more than two years ago | Photo: Latest Argentina News
The Argentine journalist and writer Martín Caparrós revealed that he has been suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) for more than two years, a degenerative disease.
Caparrós indicated that on October 24, his memoirs First of allin which he speaks for the first time about his illness. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper The Vanguard He expressed that he had not talked about the condition even with his friends, since he did not want them to see him “as a dying man.”
“Scientists don’t even understand how that biological process works. What they do know is that life expectancy is 3 to 5 years, that at some point you have problems breathing or even speaking. And at some point you die. Which is not bad, because that’s how they tolerate certain things, like eating all the chocolate you want,” he said.
Marta Nebot, the journalist’s partner, confirmed in a column in the Spanish newspaper Public that during the weekend of October 19, she and Caparrós decided to “come out of the closet” and publicly say that they belong “to the select club of the ‘ELAdos’ and their de facto partners.”
“I only have words of admiration about how he is going through the ordeal of this disease,” said Nebot.
Works by Martín Caparrós
-Ansay or the misfortunes of glory
-You don’t watch your dead
-The third body
-The night before
-The History
-A day in the life of God
-Valfierno
-To whom it may concern
-Los Living
-I ate
-Echeverria
-Everything for the country
-End
-The grandparents
-Sarmiento
What is ALS and how does it affect the health of those who suffer from it?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease of the nervous system and affects the neurons in the brain and spinal cord. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition worsens over time and causes the patient to lose muscle control.
ALS is also known as Lou Gehrigan American baseball player, who was diagnosed with this disease. He died on June 2, 1941, at the age of 37, from this disease.
The Mayo Clinic clarifies that the exact cause of the condition is unknown; However, in a small number of cases, it is hereditary. Likewise, there is no cure to treat the disease.
Among the symptoms that people suffering from ALS present are spasms and muscle weakness in the arms or legs. Over time, patients may lose control of moving, speaking, eating, and breathing.
These are other symptoms that a person with ALS may present:
-Trips and falls
-Weakness in the legs, feet or ankles
-Weakness or clumsiness in the hands
-Difficulty speaking or problems swallowing
-Weakness associated with muscle cramps and spasms in the arms, shoulders and tongue
-Untimely crying, laughing or yawning
-Changes in thinking or behavior
Health experts emphasize that muscles weaken as more nerve cells die.
Risk factors
The risk factors that could lead a person to suffer from ALS are related to genetics, age and sex.
The Mayo Clinic explains in its website that around 10% of people with the disease have the risk gene, transmitted from a family member. That is, 50% of children of people with ALS are at risk of inheriting the disease.
On the other hand, the risk of suffering from it increases after 75 years of age, although it is common among people between 60 and 80 years of age.
Regarding sex, before the age of 65, it is a little more common in men than in women. Difference that disappears after 70 years of age.
Likewise, experts have associated some other factors such as: smoking, exposure to environmental toxins and even in people who were part of the military service, due to exposure to certain metals or chemicals, traumatic injuries, viral infections or intense effort.
Diagnosis and treatment
To diagnose ALS, patients must undergo several blood and urine tests, as well as nerve conduction velocity (NCV) analysis.
In addition, electromyography (EMG), lumbar puncture, x-rays, myelogram of the cervical spine, muscle and nerve biopsies, and a complete neurological examination are performed.
As for treatment, although it cannot reverse the damage caused, it can delay the progression of symptoms and complications.
Doctors may prescribe medications, breathing therapies, speech therapies, occupational therapies, and physical therapy. In addition, they recommend having the support of a nutritionist so that the patient can eat foods that are easy to swallow, as well as psychological support.
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