ALS Texas

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Newsletter
  • Find Services
  • Understanding ALS
    • ALS Symptoms
    • Stages of ALS
    • What Causes ALS?
    • Lou Gehrig and the History of ALS
    • ALS Glossary
  • Who We Are
    • What We Do
    • Our Leadership
    • Financial Information
    • Our Partners
    • Careers
  • Research
    • How ALS Patients Can Help
    • Research Resources
    • Research News
    • ALS Association Research
  • Navigating ALS
    • Newly Diagnosed
      • What Do I Do Now?
      • How to Share Your Diagnosis
      • Second Opinions
      • Resources
      • Clinics and Centers
    • Living with ALS
      • For Patients
      • Therapies & Care
        • Nutrition & Feeding Tubes
        • How to Improve Mobility
        • Dealing with Breathing Issues
        • Dealing with Speech & Swallowing Issues
        • Types of Assistive Equipment & Technology
        • Clinics and Centers
      • Living Setting
      • Daily Living Activities
      • Leisure Activities
      • Accessible Vehicles
      • More in Depth Resources/Manuals
    • Coping with ALS
      • Dealing with Anxiety/Depression
      • Changes in Thinking & Emotional Lability
      • Support Groups
      • Resources
    • For Caregivers
      • Caregiver Resources
      • Practicing Self Care
      • From One Caregiver To Another
    • For Youth & Children
    • Virtual Support Groups & Workshops
      • Past Virtual Event Recordings
    • Resources
      • Healthcare/Insurance
      • Hospice & Palliative Care
      • Finances/Employment
      • Taxes
      • Advance Directives
      • More in Depth Resources/Manuals
      • Register with ALS Texas
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
    • Ways to Donate to ALS Texas
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Workplace Giving
    • Community Giving Programs
  • Advocate
    • Advocacy Day
    • Advocacy News
  • Get Involved
    • Walk to Defeat ALS®
      • Register for a Walk
    • Texas Chapter Events
      • Houston Marathon and Half Marathon
      • All In For ALS Poker Tournament
      • Sporting Clay Shoot
      • Under Ballou Skies Golf Classic and Party
      • ALS Fishing Classic
      • The Cowtown Affair
    • Fundraising Opportunities
    • Calendar of Events
    • Volunteer
    • The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Home > Understanding ALS > ALS Symptoms

ALS Symptoms

The first thing to understand about ALS is that it affects every patient a little differently. Early symptoms, location of the symptoms, how severe the symptoms are and the speed of progression can vary from patient to patient. However, there are trends that help doctors identify and diagnose ALS patients.

The first sign of ALS is usually muscle weakness, which happens when the motor neurons (that help the brain communicate with your muscles) are damaged. The location of that early muscle weakness depends on which motor neurons are damaged first.  At first, the muscle weakness may be very subtle, but you shouldn’t mistake general clumsiness for this relatively rare disease.

In most patients (about 60% of cases), muscle weakness first happens in arms and legs, which is known as “limb-onset” ALS. People with limb-onset ALS might have difficulty doing tasks that require fine motor control, such as buttoning buttons, or they may experience difficulty walking, finding themselves tripping over even the smallest obstacles, like carpet edges, or nothing at all. They may also find it difficult to lift and grasp items.

In other cases, muscle deterioration occurs first in the muscles of the throat and tongue, which makes it difficult to speak and swallow. These muscles are known as the “bulbar muscles,” which is why this type of ALS is referred to as “bulbar-onset” ALS.

What are the stages of ALS?

The most rare type of ALS onset is “respiratory-onset,” meaning that the muscles that control breathing are first affected.

As the weakening and paralysis spreads to the muscles of the trunk of the body, it will become harder for the patient to speak, swallow, chew and breathe. When the breathing muscles become affected, the patient will ultimately need permanent ventilatory support in order to survive.

Because ALS attacks only motor neurons, the sense of sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell are not affected at any stage of the disease. For many people, muscles of the eyes and bladder will also generally not be affected.

What causes ALS?

Navigating ALS

exploreNavigating ALS

  • Newly Diagnosed
    • What do I do Now?
    • How to Share your Diagnosis
    • Second Opinions
    • Resources
    • Clinics and Centers

  • Living with ALS
    • For Patients
    • Therapies & Care
      • Nutrition & Feeding Tubes
      • How to Improve Mobility
      • Dealing with Breathing Issues
      • Dealing with Speech & Swallowing Issues
      • Types of Assistive Equipment & Technology
      • Clinics and Centers
    • Living Setting
    • Daily Living Activities
    • Leisure Activites
    • Accessible Vehicles
    • More in Depth Resources/Manuals

  • Coping with ALS
    • Dealing with Anxiety/Depression
    • Changes in Thinking & Emotional Lability
    • Support Groups
    • Resources

  • For Caregivers
    • Caregivers Resources
    • Practicing Self Care
    • From One Caregiver to Another

  • Resources
    • Healthcare/Insurance
    • Hospice Care
    • Finances/Employment
    • Taxes
    • Advance Directives
    • More in Depth Resources/Manuals
    • Register with ALS Texas
  • Find Local Services
  • Donate
  • Site Map
  • Privacy Policy
  • Link Policy
  • Contact Us

The ALS Association of Texas | 877.714.0088
All content and works posted on this website are owned and copyrighted by the ALS Association of Texas © 2019


Dallas Office 14555 Dallas Parkway Suite 100-219, Dallas, Texas 75254
San Antonio Office We're working from home! Please send mail to the Dallas office.
Austin Office 2301 W Anderson Lane, Austin, TX, 78757
Houston Office 1213 Hermann Drive, Suite 525, Houston, Texas 77004