What are some signs or symptoms of ALS?
ALS first affects an individual’s ability to speak loudly and clearly. Eventually, it completely prevents speaking and vocalizing. Some of the earliest speech-related symptoms of ALS may include: • nasal speech quality (talking out of your nose) • difficulty pronouncing words due to weak, tight, or stiff speech muscles (dysarthria) • difficulty with lengthy sentences or conversation As muscles for breathing weaken, it becomes more difficult for patients to speak loud enough to be understood. Eventually extensive muscle atrophy eliminates one’s ability to vocalize and speak altogether. Patients may also experience difficulty chewing and swallowing. Initially only some food consistencies are affected, but over time it becomes difficult for the patient to swallow even pureed foods and saliva. People with ALS get tired easily and they may not have the energy to eat an entire meal. All of these factors make it difficult to maintain adequate nutrition and weight. Eventually doctors may decid
