Can ALS spread to other parts of the body?
Early ALS Muscle Atrophy vs. Benign Atrophy Appearance. “It then spreads to affect other muscles of the same limb, for example.” So for instance, ALS may begin in the foot, then locally spread, being confined to the lower leg. Eventually the other side of the body will become affected, most likely beginning with the opposite foot and lower leg.
How do you know if you have ALS in your legs?
In other cases, symptoms initially affect one of the legs, and people experience awkwardness when walking or running or they notice that they are tripping or stumbling more often. When symptoms begin in the arms or legs, it is referred to as “limb onset” ALS/MND.
What are the chances of ALS on one side?
As symptoms experienced by you are of episodic nature, the chances of ALS are characteristically nil. Since ALS is a chronic disorder, it initially presents with one-sided weakness and atrophy, but over time, the symptoms and signs are seen on both side of the body and there is a symmetric presentation. I hope this answers you.
What is the presentation of ALS?
Since ALS is a chronic disorder, it initially presents with one-sided weakness and atrophy, but over time, the symptoms and signs are seen on both side of the body and there is a symmetric presentation. I hope this answers you. Feel free to write back to me if you have more questions. Thanks and regards.
Does ALS affect one side of the body first?
Although ALS affects both sides of the body, atrophy may start on one side, becoming symmetrical as the disease progresses. ALS does not have an impact on the person's intellectual reasoning, vision, hearing or senses of taste, smell, or touch. In most cases, it does not affect sexual, bowel, or bladder functions.
Does ALS start in one limb?
The first sign of ALS usually appears in the hand or arm and can show as difficulty with simple tasks such as buttoning a shirt, writing, or turning a key in a lock. In other cases, symptoms initially affect one leg. People experience awkwardness when walking or running, or they may trip or stumble more often.
Does ALS twitching start in one place?
In ALS, twitching can start in one place. However, it will often spread to the areas near that starting point rather than appearing in random places.
Where does ALS usually begin?
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.
Does ALS affect both legs at the same time?
Multifocal onset of symptoms was reported by 103 patients with ALS, UMN and LMN phenotypes ( Table 2 ). Of these patients, 89 reported simultaneous onset in both legs or both arms.
How do you rule out ALS?
These typically include an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the neck, and sometimes of the head and lower spine, an EMG (electromyography) which tests nerve conduction, and a series of blood tests. Sometimes urine tests, genetic tests, or a lumbar puncture (also called a spinal tap) are also necessary.
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.More items...
Is ALS twitching constant?
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 do I know I don't have ALS?
Your doctor may run a series of tests such as electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction study (NCS) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A muscle biopsy can tell if you have a muscle disease other than ALS. They'll also monitor your symptoms over time with regular exams to see if they're getting worse.
What are the first warning signs of ALS?
Some common early symptoms include:Stumbling.A hard time holding items with your hands.Slurred speech.Swallowing problems.Muscle cramps.Worsening posture.A hard time holding your head up.Muscle stiffness.
What does early ALS feel like?
Early symptoms of ALS are usually characterized by muscle weakness, tightness (spasticity), cramping, or twitching (fasciculations). This stage is also associated with muscle loss or atrophy.
What were your first ALS symptoms?
Bulbar onset usually affects voice and swallowing first. The majority of ALS patients have limb onset. For these individuals, early symptoms may include dropping things, tripping, fatigue of the arms and legs, slurred speech and muscle cramps and twitches.
What were your first ALS symptoms?
Bulbar onset usually affects voice and swallowing first. The majority of ALS patients have limb onset. For these individuals, early symptoms may include dropping things, tripping, fatigue of the arms and legs, slurred speech and muscle cramps and twitches.
What are the first warning signs of ALS?
Some common early symptoms include:Stumbling.A hard time holding items with your hands.Slurred speech.Swallowing problems.Muscle cramps.Worsening posture.A hard time holding your head up.Muscle stiffness.
What are ALS muscle twitches like?
For instance, an individual with ALS might first notice a persistent shoulder twitch or muscle twitching in their face or legs. Whilst not painful, it can be so prevalent that it causes sleep disruption.
What are the early signs of bulbar ALS?
Although progression is variable by case, Bulbar Onset ALS tends to have a faster progression than Limb Onset cases. Early symptoms include slurred speech, difficulty chewing and swallowing, excessive choking and weakness or twitching in the muscles of the face, jaw, throat and voice box, particularly the tongue.
How does ALS affect you?
ALS will eventually lead to disability and death. Although your ability to move and breathe independently will be affected, your intelligence and ability to think is not. You and your family will work closely with your healthcare provider to manage symptoms as they develop. Use of the medicine may prolong your life by a few months, particularly if you have trouble swallowing. Discuss ways to make living spaces more accessible, and use of mobility devices and wheelchairs. It’s very important to discuss end-of-life decisions with your loved ones.
How is ALS diagnosed?
There is no specific test to diagnose ALS. Your healthcare provider will consider your medical history and symptoms and will do certain tests to rule out other conditions including:
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal type of motor neuron disease. It is characterized by progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. It's often called Lou Gehrig's disease, after a famous baseball player who died from the disease. ALS it is one of the most devastating of the disorders that affects the function of nerves and muscles.
What causes ALS?
Experts do not know the cause of ALS. In a few cases, genetics is involved. ALS research is looking into possible environmental causes of ALS.
What are the complications of ALS?
In time, you will need help with personal care, eating, and mobility. Movement of the diaphragm for breathing is also impaired. You may need a ventilator for breathing. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure.
How is ALS treated?
For most people with ALS, the main treatment may involve the management of symptoms, This may include physical, occupational, speech, respiratory, and nutritional therapies. Some medicines, and heat or whirlpool therapy may help relieve muscle cramping. Exercise, in moderation, may help maintain muscle strength and function.
How long does it take for ALS to develop?
With ALS, you may first have weakness in a limb that develops over a matter of days or, more commonly, a few weeks. Then, several weeks to months later, weakness develops in another limb. Sometimes the initial problem can be one of slurred speech or trouble swallowing.
What are the early symptoms of ALS?
Early stage ALS. Early symptoms of ALS are usually characterized by muscle weakness, tightness (spasticity), cramping, or twitching (fasciculations). This stage is also associated with muscle loss or atrophy. Symptoms at this stage are generally limited to a particular part of the body, and often first begin in the arms or hands, ...
What is it called when you have ALS in your legs?
Alternatively, they may first appear in a leg — in either case, disease that begins in the arms or legs is often called “limb onset” ALS. The muscular issues may cause people to experience fatigue, poor balance, slurred words, loss of grip strength, or to trip or fall when walking.
What is ALS in medical terms?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurological disease characterized by the destruction of nerve cells (neurons) that are responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Examples of voluntary muscle movement include chewing, walking, talking and breathing.
How long does it take to die from ALS?
Most people with ALS die due to respiratory failure, and the prognosis is usually three to five years after the first symptoms appear.
Where do symptoms of a symtom start?
Symptoms at this stage are generally limited to a particular part of the body, and often first begin in the arms or hands, making daily tasks, such as buttoning clothes or opening a can of food, difficult to execute. Alternatively, they may first appear in a leg — in either case, disease that begins in the arms or legs is often called “limb onset” ...
Can ALS be cured?
ALS cannot be cured, but treatments do exist. In general, ALS progression may be divided into three distinct stages: early, middle, and late. The following section offers information about the characteristic symptoms associated with each stage.
Do ALS patients retain higher mental abilities?
Most ALS patients retain higher mental and reasoning abilities, and are aware of their progressive loss of muscular function.
What happens when you get ALS?
Who Gets ALS? Once ALS starts, it almost always progresses, eventually taking away the ability to walk, dress, write, speak, swallow, and breathe, and shortening the life span.
What are the symptoms of ALS?
The onset of ALS often involves muscle weakness or stiffness as early symptoms. Progression of weakness, wasting, and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and trunk, as well as those that control vital functions such as speech, swallowing, and breathing, generally follows.
How long do people with ALS live?
While the average survival time is three years, about 20 percent of people with ALS live five years, 10 percent will survive 10 years and 5 percent will live 20 years or longer. Progression is not always a straight line in an individual, either.
How long does a period last with ALS?
It is not uncommon to have periods lasting weeks to months where there is very little or no loss of function. There are even very rare examples in which there is significant improvement and recovery of lost function. These ALS "arrests" and "reversals" are, unfortunately, usually transient.
Does ALS affect the entire body at the same time?
Eventually the other side of the body will become affected, most likely beginning with the opposite foot and lower leg. ALS atrophy does not strike the entire body at the same time. It begins very locally.
Is normal atrophy diffuse or symmetrical?
Dr. Gerecke explains, “Normal atrophy such as that associated with aging tends to be more symmetrical and diffuse.”
How to diagnose ALS?
The first important step in the diagnostic process is an examination by a neurologist. This will include detailed family, work, and environmental histories. During the exam, the neurologist will look for typical features of ALS that may include: 1 Muscle weakness (which is often only on one side of the body, such as one arm or one leg) as well as changes in the character of the individual’s voice (especially slurred words or slowness of speech). The exam will evaluate muscles of the mouth, the tongue, and those involved in chewing and swallowing. 2 Lower Motor Neuron (LMN) features, such as muscles shrinking in size or muscle twitches. These twitches are called fasciculations and may occur when muscles contract without the nerve cells fully controlling them. 3 Upper Motor Neuron (UMN) features, such as hyperactive reflexes and muscle spasticity (a type of tightness and rigidity of the muscles). 4 Emotional changes resulting in the loss of some control of emotional responses, such as uncontrolled crying or laughing. The exam will also look at changes in thinking, such as loss of good judgment or loss of common social skills. The examiner will also look for problems in verbal fluency and word recognition abilities. These types of symptoms are less common or may be present but not readily noticeable.
What is the first reaction to ALS?
Diagnosing ALS. Although individuals experience symptoms differently, a common first response to feelings of muscular weakness, slurred speech or a change in ability to perform tasks such as buttoning clothes or tying shoes is to attribute these changes to “getting older.”. Over time, however, an individual or a family member may realize ...
What is the name of the doctor who diagnoses ALS?
As a next step, individuals are often referred to a neuromuscular specialist, who specializes in nerves and muscles. The neuromuscular specialist will either assist in making a diagnosis or offer a second opinion to help confirm the possible diagnosis of ALS.
Can ALS be diagnosed after tests?
Even after the tests rule out other disorders, a diagnosis of ALS may still be unclear.
Can a neurologist tell if you have ALS?
Once these tests have been completed, the neurologist may be able to tell whether an individual has ALS. Sometimes, not all of the symptoms and findings that are required to make the diagnosis are present, especially in the early phase of the disease.
Can hexosaminidase A be tested for ALS?
In some rare cases, genetic tests and tests of hexosaminidase A levels , which can be related to juvenile spinal muscle atrophy, may also be performed. Genetic testing for ALS is usually only done when someone else in the family has ALS.
How does ALS affect people?
ALS can affect people of any age, though it usually strikes in late middle age. ALS typically announces itself with persistent weakness or spasticity in an arm or leg (80 percent of all cases), causing difficulty using the affected limb. Sometimes (in about 20 percent of all cases) the problem presents first in the muscles controlling speech, producing alterations in the vocal quality, or swallowing, which may lead to coughing and choking. The disease can also affect the muscles of the face, leading to problems such as incomplete eye closure and drooling. ALS can even manifest as inappropriate laughing, crying, or yawning (pseudobulbar affect). 1,2
Why does my ALS pain?
Pain can occur as a result of immobility and its various complications, especially if precautions such as daily range-of-motion exercises are not undertaken. Also pain due to nerve affection may occur in some patients with ALS. 4,5,6,7. Fasciculations are a common symptom of ALS.
What are the effects of ALS on the brain?
Figure 1: Upper motor neurons normally send signals to lower motor neurons, which send signals to muscles.#N#ALS affects the upper motor neurons, which are in the brain, and the lower motor neurons, which are in the spinal cord and brainstem. Upper motor neuron degeneration generally causes spasticity (tightness in a muscle), slowness of movement, poor balance and incoordination, while lower motor neuron degeneration causes muscle weakness, muscle atrophy (shrinkage of muscles) and twitching (fasciculations). These can occur in combination in ALS, as upper and lower motor neurons are affected at the same time.
What causes muscle spasms in ALS?
Upper motor neuron degeneration generally causes spasticity (tightness in a muscle), slowness of movement, poor balance and incoordination, while lower motor neuron degeneration causes muscle weakness, muscle atrophy (shrinkage of muscles) and twitching (fasciculations). These can occur in combination in ALS, as upper and lower motor neurons are ...
Is ALS a neurologist?
It is at this point that people usually are referred to a neurologist, who will consider ALS among many other possible diagnoses. The involuntary muscles involved in the heartbeat and sexual functions are not directly affected in ALS.
Can ALS cause muscle cramps?
Some with ALS experience painful muscle cramps, which can sometimes be alleviated with medication.
Can ALS cause you to sweat?
Hearing, vision, and touch generally remain normal. Some patients complain about excessive sweating, but the association between sweating and ALS remains controversial. 3.
What Is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?
What Are The Symptoms?
- The onset of ALS can be so subtle that the symptoms are overlooked but gradually these symptoms develop into more obvious weakness or atrophy. Early symptomsinclude: 1. Muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue 2. Muscle cramps 3. Tight and stiff muscles (spasticity) 4. Muscle weakness affecting an arm, a leg, the neck, or diaphragm 5. S...
Who Gets ALS?
- ALS is a common neuromuscular disease worldwide. It affects people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Risk factors for ALS include: 1. Age. Although the disease can strike at any age, symptoms most commonly develop between the ages of 55 and 75. 2. Gender. Men are slightly more likely than women to develop ALS. However, as people age the difference between men an…
What Causes ALS?
- The cause of ALS is not known, and scientists do not yet know why ALS strikes some people and not others. However, scientific evidence suggests that both genetics and environment play a role in motor neuron degeneration and the development of ALS. Genetics In 1993, scientists supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) discovered that mutation…
How Is Als Diagnosed?
- There is no single test that provides a definitive diagnosis of ALS. It is primarily diagnosed based on a detailed history of the symptoms observed by a physician during physical examination, along with a review of the individual’s full medical history and a series of tests to rule out other diseases. A neurologic examination at regular intervals can assess whether symptoms such as …
How Is Als Treated?
- There is no treatment to reverse damage to motor neurons or cure ALS. However, treatments can help control symptoms, prevent unnecessary complications, and make living with the disease easier. Supportive health care is best provided by multidisciplinary teams of professionals such as physicians; pharmacists; physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapists; nutritioni…
What Research Is Being done?
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is the primary federal funder of research on the brain and nervous system, including disorders such as ALS. NINDS is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the leading supporter of biomedical research in the world. The goals of NINDS’s ALS research are to understand the cellular mechani…
How Can I Be Involved in Research?
- National ALS Registry The National ALS Registry is a program to collect, manage, and analyze data about people with ALS in the United States. Developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), this registry establishes information about the number of ALS cases, collects demographic, occupational and environme…
Where Can I Get More Information?
- For more information on neurological disorders or research programs funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, contact the Institute’s Brain Resources and Information Network (BRAIN) at: BRAIN P.O. Box 5801 Bethesda, MD 20824 800-352-9424 Information also is available from the following organizations: The ALS Association(link is exter…
What Are The Symptoms of ALS?
- With ALS, you may first have weakness in a limb that develops over a matter of days or, more commonly, a few weeks. Then, several weeks to months later, weakness develops in another limb. Sometimes the initial problem can be one of slurred speech or trouble swallowing. As ALS progresses, though, more and more symptoms are noticed. These are the mos...
How Is Als Diagnosed?
- There is no specific test to diagnose ALS. Your healthcare provider will consider your medical history and symptoms and will do certain tests to rule out other conditions including: 1. Lab tests. These include blood and urine studies and thyroid functioning tests. 2. Muscle or nerve biopsy. In this procedure, your doctor removes a sample of tissue or cells from the body and examines it u…
What Are The Complications of ALS?
- There is no cure for ALS. Over a period of 3 to 5 years, the disease will progress, making voluntary movements of arms and legs impossible. In time, you will need help with personal care, eating, and mobility. Movement of the diaphragm for breathing is also impaired. You may need a ventilator for breathing. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure.
How Is Als Treated?
- For most people with ALS, the main treatment may involve the management of symptoms, This may include physical, occupational, speech, respiratory, and nutritional therapies. Some medicines, and heat or whirlpool therapy may help relieve muscle cramping. Exercise, in moderation, may help maintain muscle strength and function. There is no cure and no proven tre…