People with ALS can develop malnutrition and dehydration from damage to the muscles that control swallowing. Speech eventually becomes difficult for others to understand, and people with ALS often rely on other communication technologies to communicate. This usually starts as occasional, mild slurring of words, but becomes more severe. Most people with ALS develop trouble speaking. However, some people with ALS live 10 or more years. On average, death occurs within 3 to 5 years after symptoms begin. The most common cause of death for people with ALS is respiratory failure. Some people with advanced ALS choose to have a tracheostomy - a surgically created hole at the front of the neck leading to the windpipe (trachea) - for full-time use of a respirator that inflates and deflates their lungs. This type of device supports your breathing through a mask worn over your nose, your mouth or both. For example, you may be given a bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) device to help with your breathing at night. You might need a device to help you breathe at night, similar to what someone with sleep apnea might wear. Over time, ALS paralyzes the muscles you use to breathe. It might include exposure to certain metals or chemicals, traumatic injuries, viral infections, and intense exertion.Īs the disease progresses, ALS causes complications, such as: Breathing problems
It's unclear what about military service might trigger the development of ALS. Studies indicate that people who have served in the military are at higher risk of ALS. Much study has been done, but no single agent or chemical has been consistently associated with ALS. Some evidence suggests that exposure to lead or other substances in the workplace or at home might be linked to ALS. The risk seems to be greatest for women, particularly after menopause. Smoking is the only likely environmental risk factor for ALS. These genetic variations might make people more susceptible to ALS.Įnvironmental factors, such as the following, might trigger ALS. Some studies examining the entire human genome found many similarities in the genetic variations of people with familial ALS and some people with noninherited ALS. This sex difference disappears after age 70. Before the age of 65, slightly more men than women develop ALS. ALS risk increases with age, and is most common between the ages of 40 and the mid-60s. In most people with familial ALS, their children have a 50-50 chance of developing the disease. Five to 10 percent of the people with ALS inherited it (familial ALS). Risk factorsĮstablished risk factors for ALS include: Most theories center on a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Researchers continue to study possible causes of ALS. When motor neurons are damaged, they stop sending messages to the muscles, so the muscles can't function.ĪLS is inherited in 5% to 10% of people. Motor neurons extend from the brain to the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body.
ALS causes the motor neurons to gradually deteriorate, and then die. ALS affects the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movements such as walking and talking (motor neurons).
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