What is ALS? Ex-NFL star Chris Johnson, 40, has already lost his voice to debilitating disease

Former NFL star Chris Johnson has ALS, and it’s already robbed him of his ability to speak.The former Titans and Jets running back made the shock announcement on “Good Morning America” today, using a speech-generating device that uses his recorded voice to communicate.“It’s continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined.I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body,” he said.

“Just over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she’d make a wish with her birthday cake.Today, I couldn’t do that.”“There’s no history of ALS in my family,” Johnson added.

“My doctors believe my case is what’s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen.”“That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking.It can happen to someone who never expected it.”Johnson said the first sign was that his grip strength wasn’t at strong as it used to be.

At first, his wife, Brittany, assumed it was something related to his football career.There is some evidence that playing professional football could be a risk factor for the disease.Johnson, who has four children, said he plans to fight and has been getting experimental treatments.His news comes just months after beloved “Grey’s Anatomy” star Eric Dane died of ALS on February 19 at the age of 53.Dane had called it a “nasty disease” that caused muscle weakness, fatigue and trouble speaking.ALS (short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.Known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in honor of the famed baseball player who died from the condition, ALS affects all genders and races, though it is slightly more common in men than women.The typical age of diagnosis is between 40 and 70, but it can present earlier.There are two primary types of ALS: sporadic and familial.Sporadic ALS is the most common form of the disease, account...