Lou Gehrig’s disease is the common name for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. Early symptoms can be subtle and may vary from person to person.
Common early symptoms of ALS may include:
- Muscle weakness in one area
- Often begins in a hand, arm, leg, or with muscles involved in speech.
- Examples: dropping objects, difficulty buttoning clothes, tripping more often.
- Muscle twitching (fasciculations)
- Small, involuntary muscle twitches, often noticed in the arms, legs, shoulders, or tongue.
- Muscle cramps or stiffness
- Frequent cramps, tightness, or increased muscle tone.
- Changes in speech or swallowing
- Slurred speech, a softer voice, or difficulty moving food/liquids safely.
- Loss of coordination and balance
- Increased clumsiness or trouble with everyday movements.
- Muscle wasting
- A noticeable decrease in muscle size in an affected area.
ALS usually does not begin with loss of sensation (such as numbness or tingling), and many other conditions can cause similar symptoms. Having one of these symptoms does not mean someone has ALS.
A medical evaluation is important if symptoms are progressive (getting worse over time), especially if there is unexplained muscle weakness, repeated falls, or speech/swallowing changes. A neurologist can perform the appropriate examination and tests.
