Although the disease can strike at any age, symptoms most commonly develop
between the ages of 55 and 75
.
Does ALS start in one limb?
Disease onset often occurs in one of two distinct ways:
Limb Onset
ALS or Bulbar Onset ALS. While disease onset is usually focal (symptoms start in one specific site – either limb or bulbar), multifocal (symptoms start in multiple sites) onset is possible and can occur in both limbs and bulbar regions simultaneously.
Does ALS start suddenly?
As I have mentioned before,
ALS does not start abruptly
. Consider Lou Gehrig. At first he never dreamed he had a disease. That’s the same problem all of our patients face.
Do Early symptoms of ALS come and go?
ALS symptoms are progressive
meaning the symptoms get worse over time and often develop very quickly. That said there are some cases in which symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing, can get better for a period of time.
What does ALS feel like in the beginning?
Early symptoms of ALS are usually characterized by
muscle weakness, tightness (spasticity), cramping, or twitching (fasciculations
What was your first ALS symptom?
Some of the earliest and most common signs of ALS are:
Difficulty walking or doing normal, day-to-day activities
.
Muscle twitching in the arms, shoulders
, legs or tongue (also known as fasciculations) Muscle cramps, especially in the hands and feet.
Where does ALS usually start?
ALS often starts
in the hands, feet or limbs
, and then spreads to other parts of your body. As the disease advances and nerve cells are destroyed, your muscles get weaker. This eventually affects chewing, swallowing, speaking and breathing.
How can I test myself for ALS?
You’ll probably have an EMG and nerve conduction study to help pinpoint the site of the problem (muscle, nerve, or the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord). You will most likely have an
MRI or CT scan of the spinal cord or brain
, checking to see if a back disk or compressed nerve root may be causing your symptoms.
What can be mistaken for ALS?
ALS is commonly misdiagnosed as cerebrovascular disease,
cervical myelopathy
, vertebral disc herniation, radiculopathy, neuropathy, and myasthenia gravis. Misdiagnosed patients may endure surgery or treatment for the wrong diagnosis that can lead to unnecessary harm.
What does weakness feel like in ALS?
What are the symptoms? The first sign of ALS is often weakness in one leg, one hand, the face, or the tongue. The
weakness slowly spreads to both arms and both legs
. This happens because as the motor neurons slowly die, they stop sending signals to the muscles.
Does ALS start on one side of the body?
Early symptoms are usually found in specific parts of the body. They also tend to be asymmetrical, which means
they only happen on one side
. As the disease progresses, the symptoms generally spread to both sides of the body. Bilateral muscle weakness becomes common.
What are the last days of ALS like?
Paralysis of voluntary muscles
.
Inability to talk, chew and drink
.
Difficulty breathing
.
Potential heart complications
.
When should you suspect ALS?
Slurred or slowed speech and other
signs of muscle weakness in your mouth and tongue
.
Muscle twitches
. Muscles that have shrunk in size, have unusual reflexes, or are tight and rigid. Emotional changes such has out-of-control laughing and crying or a loss of good judgment or social skills.
What are my odds of getting ALS?
Olney explained, A.L.S. is not as uncommon as people think. The lifetime chance of getting what is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is actually
1 in 1,000
, or about the same as getting multiple sclerosis.
Can you feel ALS twitches?
Fasciculations
are a common symptom of ALS. These persistent muscle twitches are generally not painful but can interfere with sleep. They are the result of the ongoing disruption of signals from the nerves to the muscles that occurs in ALS.
Can anxiety feel like ALS?
Feeling sad or scared after an ALS diagnosis is completely natural. Some people have an easier time dealing with these emotions than others. For some ALS patients (and loved ones or caregivers), the feelings of anxiety or sadness become an ongoing problem that can be just as
severe as the physical symptoms of ALS
.
