Lou Gehrig’s disease: early symptoms to know
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a progressive neurological disease that damages motor neurons—the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles.
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Early symptoms can be subtle and vary depending on which muscles are affected first. Common warning signs include:
Muscle weakness, often beginning in one hand, arm, leg, or the neck.
Muscle twitching (fasciculations), particularly in the arms, legs, shoulders, or tongue.
Muscle cramps or stiffness.
Difficulty walking, climbing stairs, gripping objects, or performing tasks such as writing.
Slurred or nasal speech.
Difficulty chewing or swallowing.
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Importantly, these symptoms do not automatically mean someone has ALS. Many other, more common and treatable conditions can cause weakness, cramps, twitching, or speech problems. There is also no single test that definitively diagnoses ALS; doctors use a neurological examination and various tests to rule out other conditions.
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If weakness or other symptoms are progressively worsening, particularly when accompanied by muscle wasting, speech/swallowing difficulties, or unexplained functional decline, a medical evaluation—often including a neurologist—is appropriate.
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