Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Early symptoms can be subtle and may vary from person to person.
Possible early symptoms of ALS
- Muscle weakness
- Often begins in one hand, arm, leg, or a specific area of the body.
- People may notice trouble gripping objects, dropping items, or difficulty with everyday tasks.
- Muscle twitching (fasciculations)
- Small, involuntary muscle movements, commonly seen in the arms, legs, or tongue.
- Muscle cramps or stiffness
- Persistent cramps, tightness, or unusual muscle stiffness may occur.
- Changes in speech
- Slurred speech, a softer voice, or difficulty pronouncing words.
- Difficulty swallowing
- Trouble moving food or liquids safely through the mouth and throat.
- Loss of coordination or balance
- Increased tripping, clumsiness, or difficulty walking.
- Unexplained muscle weakness or shrinking
- Muscles may become smaller over time due to loss of nerve supply.
Important to know
Many of these symptoms can also occur with much more common and less serious conditions, such as nerve compression, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, injuries, or other neurological disorders. Having one of these symptoms does not mean someone has ALS.
A medical evaluation is important if there is progressive weakness, persistent muscle twitching with weakness, trouble swallowing, speech changes, or worsening mobility problems. A neurologist can perform the appropriate tests to determine the cause.
