Diagnosis and signs of Tim Green to watch

In a very personal note addressed to his Facebook subscribers Wednesday night, former professional football player Tim Green revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS.

While Green's diagnosis began to make Green talk, his Facebook page was flooded with greetings.

"Pray that they will find a cure in time for you," wrote one person. "It's time for you to be a role model for many people, keep moving forward," wrote another.

Another person congratulated Green for having the courage to present himself publicly. "Courageous of you to share your story to help educate others.Prayer for you and your family," wrote the person. "If anyone can beat him, you can, you've accomplished a lot, more than most people could do in 3 lives, keep fighting," said another.

According to the ALS Association, Green is one of more than 5,000 people in the United States diagnosed with the disease each year. This is 15 new cases each day.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease of the nervous (neurological) system that destroys nerve cells and causes disability. There is often talk of Lou Gehrig's disease after the famous baseball player who was diagnosed with this disease.

Most people with ALS are between 40 and 70 years old. It is estimated that about 60% of people with ALS are men and 93% are Caucasian. It is more common in people as they get older. Doctors do not know what causes it, but we can inherit it. There is no cure for this, and finally the disease is fatal.

Here are warning signs to watch for according to the Mayo Clinic:

– Difficulty walking or doing your normal daily activities

– stumble and fall

– Weakness in the leg, feet or ankles

– Weakness or clumsiness of the hands

– Scrambled speech or difficulty swallowing

– Muscle cramps and muscle contractions of the arms, shoulders and tongue

– Difficulty holding your head upright or maintaining good posture

ALS often begins with your hands, feet, or limbs, then spreads to other parts of your body. As the disease progresses and the nerve cells are destroyed, your muscles gradually weaken. This possibly affects chewing, swallowing, speech and breathing.

In 2014, the ice bucket challenge drew worldwide attention to ALS. People have shared videos online about the spill of water on their heads. The campaign raised more than $ 115 million for the cause. This helped the scientists to discover a new gene linked to ALS.