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Symptoms and Diagnosis
The initial symptoms of ALS can be quite varied. One person may have trouble grasping a pen or lifting a coffee cup, while another may experience a change in vocal pitch when speaking. The rate at which ALS progresses can be quite variable, as well.
Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing or in the hands, arms, legs or feet. Not all people with ALS experience the same symptoms or the same sequences or patterns of progression. However, progressive muscle weakness and paralysis are universally experienced.
Who Gets ALS?
- Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with the ALS, and someone passes away from it.
- Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis. However, cases of the disease do occur in people in their twenties and thirties.
- ALS is 20% more common in men than women. However, with increasing age, the incidence of ALS is more equal between men and women.
- About 90% of ALS cases occur without any known family history or genetic cause. The remaining 5-10% of ALS cases – known as familial ALS (FALS) – are inherited through a mutated gene with a known connection to the disease.
- For unknown reasons, military veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than the general public.
Stories from People with ALS
Rob Eichler: An ALS Journey of Communication and Connection
A Life Reimagined: Michael and Wendy Wilson’s ALS Journey
