In ALS, nerve cells that control muscle cells gradually die. In most cases, the cause is unknown. As these motor neurons die, the muscles they control become weak and then nonfunctional. ALS usually strikes in late middle age (the average age of onset in the United States and Europe is between 56 and 63) or later, although ALS also affects younger adults and even children, as well as very elderly people.
Among early symptoms
*Difficulty walking or doing normal daily activities.
*Tripping and falling.
*Weakness in of leg, feet or ankles.
*Hand weakness or clumsiness.
*Slurred and nasal speech.
*Fasciculations (muscle twitches) in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue.
*Inappropriate crying, laughing or yawning
Progressive muscle weakness may hinder the normal activities of daily living from lifting to swallowing.
Individuals with ALS usually have difficulty swallowing and chewing food, which makes it hard to eat normally and increases the risk of choking. They also burn calories at a faster rate than most people without ALS. Due to these factors, people with ALS tend to lose weight rapidly and can become malnourished.
Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from when the symptoms first appear.
What are
the symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease?
