ALS symptoms

Having possible symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) increases the chances of getting an ALS diagnosis by nearly five times, but getting diagnosed is more likely for people in urban areas, who have greater access to specialized care, a U.S. study shows. People in rural areas are diagnosed at…

One of my duties as a moderator for the ALS News Today Forums is to encourage new members to discuss their worries about living with the disease. I often find myself repeating the same advice over and over: that they be open to changing their perspective, that they…

Blocking certain inflammatory signaling pathways may be one way to reverse nerve cell alterations that drive the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to preclinical research using a mouse model of the disease. In the mice, an ALS-associated mutation in the FUS gene caused caused motor neurons — the…

Pregnancy can worsen the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regardless of whether symptom onset occurs before or during pregnancy, according to a review study. Still, most of the cases reviewed showed that ALS did not affect a woman’s ability to give birth, naturally or by cesarean section, or…

Swallowing. It’s such a simple thing for most to do. But swallowing can also be a scary maneuver, especially when it turns into an ALS symptom called dysphagia. I began experiencing it about four years after my initial ALS diagnosis. And because that was nine years ago,…

For a while now, I’ve been keeping tabs on the new technologies of virtual assistants, voice activation, and artificial intelligence (AI), especially its potential benefits for the ALS community. Some of it I’ve tried, with iffy results. Others, like AI, are on my wish list to help erase ALS…

ALS has taught me many life lessons, and a very important one is to never give up. For example, some days I get up, get going, and suddenly notice that one of my body parts isn’t moving as well as the day before. It’s a small, quirky thing, like…

I always love having a good “aha!” moment, especially when it helps improve how I manage my ALS symptoms. Better yet is when I learn that what I thought was a symptom of ALS was actually an impostor, the result of something called “learned nonuse.” Here’s what happened.

There I was, just living each day and minding my own business. I was following all the guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and wearing a mask everywhere I went, when all of a sudden, BAM! The COVID-19 virus found me. What followed were…

This past week had me experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. I started with a feeling of pride while reading a recent study that validated my at-home voice therapy sessions. Next, curiosity drew me into investigating an innovative exercise program designed for Parkinson’s patients. Then, the week ended on a…