als symptoms early signs
ALS signs and symptoms include the following: 1  Absence of spinal reflexes (areflexia) 2  Loss of muscle tone (hypotonia) 3  Muscle twitching (fasciculations)  Muscle wasting (atrophy) Early signs and symptoms of ALS include: 1  Difficulty walking or doing your normal daily activities. 2  Tripping and falling. 3  Weakness in your leg, feet or ankles.  Hand weakness or 1  clumsiness. Slurred speech or trouble swallowing.  Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and 1  tongue. Difficulty holding your head up or keeping good posture. The early signs of Lou Gehrig’s disease include: 1  Cramps, twitching or stiff muscles. 2  Leg or arm weakness causing an awkward gait or stumbling. 3  Slurred speech.  Problems swallowing or 1  chewing. Difficulty with writing, buttoning a shirt, operating a lock. Basics of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) Signs & Symptoms of ALS. Lou Gehrig's Disease Symptoms. Once a motor neuron degenerates completely, the muscle that it controls no longer receives impulses from the brain. Approximately 60 percent of ALS patients experience muscle weakness and stiffness as the initial symptom. Usually the first muscles affected are those in the arms and legs. Signs of ALS can appear gradually. You may notice a funny feeling in your hand that makes it harder to grip the steering wheel. Or, you may start to slur your words before any other symptoms show up. Each person with the disease feels different symptoms, especially at first. Symptoms and causes. Symptoms. 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 progressively weaken. This eventually affects chewing, swallowing, speaking and breathing. Some common early symptoms include: 1  Stumbling. 2  A hard time holding items with your hands. 3  Slurred speech.  Swallowing 1  problems. Muscle cramps.  Worsening 1  posture. A hard time holding your head  up. Muscle stiffness. Early signs and symptoms of ALS include: Difficulty walking or doing your normal daily activities. Tripping and falling. Weakness in your leg, feet or ankles. Hand weakness or clumsiness. Slurred speech or trouble swallowing. Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and tongue. Eventually, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease) weakens the diaphragm, a muscle needed for your lungs to work. Trouble breathing is a symptom of advanced ALS. ALS still has no cure. But if it’s diagnosed early, you may be able to treat some symptoms and keep your muscle control a little longer. Symptoms and Signs of Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) The symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) typically appear after age 50, but may occur before that. At the start, symptoms may be almost unnoticeable, but develop over a period of a few weeks, or sometimes in days. Where symptoms begin depends on which parts of the brain ALS affects first.
1 Difficulty walking or doing your normal daily activities. 2 Tripping and falling. 3 Weakness in your leg, feet or ankles. 4 Hand weakness or 1 clumsiness. 5 Slurred speech or trouble swallowing. 6 Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and 1 tongue. 7 Difficulty holding your head up or keeping good posture.