What were your earliest symptoms of ALS?

What were your earliest symptoms of ALS?

Early symptoms include:

• Muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue.
• Muscle cramps.
• Tight and stiff muscles (spasticity)
• Muscle weakness affecting an arm, a leg, the neck, or diaphragm.
• Slurred and nasal speech.
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing.

Do symptoms of ALS come and go?

Most people with ALS live 5 years or less after their diagnosis, but some live much longer. Research is underway to find treatments to extend and improve the quality of life. With MS, the course of the disease is harder to predict. Your symptoms may come and go, and may even disappear for months or years at a time.

Is there a mild form of ALS?

Most people with ALS die of respiratory failure within three to five years of the onset of symptoms, though about 10 percent of sufferers live for 10 or more years, according to the NIH. “There are a lot of cousins of ALS that can exist that are milder,” Bhatt said.

How do you mentally deal with ALS?

1. Take Time to Adjust. Being diagnosed with ALS is nothing less than shocking.
2. Be Hopeful. Your attitude is everything.
3. Think Beyond Physical Changes.
4. Seek Early Treatment.
5. Take Charge of Your Care.
6. Engage Family and Friends.
7. Join a Support Group.

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.

What can mimic ALS?

A number of disorders may mimic ALS; examples include:

• Myasthenia gravis.
• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.
• Lyme disease.
• Poliomyelitis and post-poliomyelitis.
• Heavy metal intoxication.
• Kennedy syndrome.
• Adult-onset Tay-Sachs disease.
• Hereditary spastic paraplegia.

What can be mistaken for ALS?

Beware: there are other diseases that mimic ALS.

• Myasthenia gravis.
• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.
• Lyme disease.
• Poliomyelitis and post-poliomyelitis.
• Heavy metal intoxication.
• Kennedy syndrome.
• Adult-onset Tay-Sachs disease.
• Hereditary spastic paraplegia.

How long can you have ALS without knowing it?

And what tests are needed to make the diagnosis? A: You’re asking very important questions. And you’re right; it takes on average about nine to 12 months for someone to be diagnosed with ALS, from the time they first began to notice symptoms.

What can mimic ALS symptoms?

What are the 3 forms of ALS?

Causes and Types of ALS

• Sporadic ALS.
• Familial ALS.
• Guamanian ALS.

Can ALS progress rapidly?

Each occurrence of ALS is unique, and there is no clear-cut time frame for how an individual’s disease will progress. For example, symptoms may appear gradually over time, or they may occur rapidly and then plateau.

How do you make ALS comfortable?

GIVE THE CAREGIVER A BREAK Everyone needs a little time on their own. Offer to visit with the person with ALS so the caregiver can run errands, attend a support group meeting, do a favourite activity, or attend a religious service. Even if the caregiver does not leave the house, this will provide some personal time.

What are the signs and symptoms of ALS?

ALS is typically a disease that involves a gradual onset. The initial symptoms of ALS can be quite varied in different people. One person may have trouble grasping a pen or lifting a coffee cup, while another person may experience a change in vocal pitch when speaking.

How does amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS ) affect the body?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a group of rare neurological diseases that mainly involve the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Voluntary muscles produce movements like chewing, walking, and talking. The disease is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time.

How are muscle twitches a symptom of ALS?

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.

How long do people with ALS live with?

The rate at which ALS progresses can be quite variable from one person to another. Although the mean survival time with ALS is two to five years, some people live five, 10 or more years. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing or in the hands, arms, legs or feet.