Do I Have ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Syndrome)?

Do you have difficulty walking or doing normal daily activities?

Have you notice that you are tripping or stumbling more often?

Do you have trouble standing up on your own after a fall?

Do you have weakness in your leg, feet or ankles?

Do you have a hand weakness and difficulty with simple tasks such as buttoning a shirt, writing, or turning a key in a lock?

Do you have muscle twitches (fasciculations) in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue?

Do you have slurred and nasal speech?

Do you have muscle cramps?

Do you have difficulty chewing or swallowing?

Do you have tight and stiff muscles (spasticity)?

Do you have difficulty breathing, especially when lying down?

Have you experience bouts of uncontrolled and inappropriate laughing or crying?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have ALS. ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurological disease characterized by damage to the nerves that control voluntary muscle movements. Voluntary muscles are responsible for movements such as walking, talking and chewing. ALS is a progressive disease which means that the symptoms worsen over time. It can affect anyone, but commonly occurs in people between the ages of 55 and 75. ALS is known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It is named after a famous baseball player who was diagnosed with this condition. ALS does not affect a person's sensory functions or mental abilities.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have ALS. ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects motor neurons (nerve cells) that control voluntary muscle movements. In ALS, damaged neurons do not send messages from the brain to the muscles, preventing them from functioning. Over time, the muscles gradually become weeks, begin to twitch and eventually lose their function (atrophy). Early diagnosis of ALS can be challenging because the symptoms can be similar to other neurological conditions. Your doctor may order various tests such as electromyogram, nerve conduction study, MRI, blood and urine tests, spinal tap and muscle biopsy.

Based on your answers there is a high possibility that you have ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that eventually paralyzes people due to damage to the nerves that control muscle movements. The brain losses the ability to communicate with the muscles and people with ALS become unable to talk, eat, swallow and walk. Over time, ALS can impair a person's ability to breathe. There is no cure for this condition, and the goal of treatment is to slow down the progression of the disease, prevent complications and make living with ALS easier. A team of doctors can create an individualized treatment plan.