ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Scl in Spanish

What it means

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a nervous system disease that attacks nerve cells called neurons in the brain and spinal cord. These neurons transmit messages from the brain and spinal cord to the voluntary muscles, the ones a person can control, like those in the arms and legs. In ALS, motor nerve cells waste away or die and can no longer send messages to muscles, which eventually leads to muscle weakening, twitching, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and body. Early problems some people notice are trouble walking or running, trouble writing, and speech problems. ALS does not affect the senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch). The condition continues to get worse, and there is no cure. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig disease.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in Spanish

Spanish term: ELA (Esclerosis Lateral Amiotrófica)
Gender and article: feminine: la ELA (la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica)
Pronunciation: EH-lah (ehs-kleh-ROH-sees lah-teh-RAHL ah-myoh-TROH-fee-kah)

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
enfermedad de Lou Gehrig	General	Name the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia says the disease is also known by.
enfermedad de las motoneuronas	General	Listed by the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia among its alternative names.

The Spanish abbreviation is ELA, from esclerosis lateral amiotrófica; the English abbreviation is ALS, from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Both name the same disease, so "ALS" on an English record and "ELA" on a Spanish one match. ELA takes the feminine article: the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia writes la ELA. The same encyclopedia says the disease is also known as la enfermedad de Lou Gehrig and lists enfermedad de las motoneuronas among its alternative names.

Words MedlinePlus en español uses with it: neuronas or células nerviosas (nerve cells), médula espinal (spinal cord), músculos voluntarios (voluntary muscles), debilidad muscular (muscle weakness), fasciculaciones (the muscle contractions English calls fasciculations) and espasticidad (muscle stiffness). For swallowing it uses both tragar and the more technical deglutir, and it calls a breathing machine un respirador.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My hand has been getting weaker, and I have trouble writing.	La mano se me ha ido debilitando y me cuesta escribir.
Clinician	Have you noticed muscle twitching or cramps?	¿Ha notado contracciones o calambres en los músculos?
Clinician	Do you have trouble swallowing, or do you choke easily?	¿Tiene dificultad para tragar o se atraganta con facilidad?
Patient	My speech has become slow, and people ask me to repeat things.	Hablo más despacio que antes y la gente me pide que repita las cosas.
Clinician	Has anyone in your family had ALS?	¿Alguien de su familia ha tenido ELA?
Clinician	I am going to order an electromyography test to see how your nerves and muscles are working.	Voy a pedirle una electromiografía para ver cómo funcionan sus nervios y músculos.
Patient	What does ALS stand for, and is it the same as ELA?	¿Qué significa ALS y es lo mismo que ELA?
Patient	I would like an interpreter at my neurology appointments.	Quisiera tener un intérprete en mis citas de neurología.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Spanish (Español)	ELA (Esclerosis Lateral Amiotrófica)
Chinese (中文)	肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化症
Korean (한국어)	근위축성 측삭경화증(ALS)
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Bệnh xơ cứng teo cơ một bên
Filipino (Tagalog)	ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Portuguese (Português)	ELA (Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	โรคกล้ามเนื้ออ่อนแรง (ALS)
Japanese (日本語)	筋萎縮性側索硬化症（ALS）

Where you'll see it

chartEOBreferralmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: G12 → Spinal muscular atrophy and related syndromes

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Brain and nerves

All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.