What is palliative care?

“Pallium” is a Latin term that can be translated as “cloak.” The essence of palliative care is to “envelop” patients with serious illnesses and protect them from distressing symptoms. The concept of palliative care is particularly important when a disease is incurable and the onset of symptoms is inevitable. In this situation, the priority is to control, reduce, or alleviate the symptoms.

ALS can cause significant difficulties with speaking, swallowing, moving, and breathing, and the onset and progression of these symptoms cannot be prevented. Various treatments can help reduce the symptoms or compensate for functional deficits.

Examples of symptom reduction include the alleviation of excessive salivation, spasticity, pain, pathological crying or laughing, and bladder dysfunction through medication. A major symptom—labored breathing or obstructive airway narrowing—can be treated with medication, but also with supportive medical technology (mask ventilation, cough assist devices). The comprehensive set of treatment measures aimed at symptom control and relief is referred to as palliative care for ALS.