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als?

I'm only 16 years old but I'm worried that I might be getting early syptoms of ALS.  A dull pain in my hands occurs if I'm lifting something like a laptop or a dumbell with one hand.  I have also had difficulty swallowing (alot of saliva in my mouth it seems).  I'm the kind of guy who worries about health-related issues so I'm not sure if I'm overreacting of something.  Thanks.
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Do you think that any of the stuff that I mentioned, including twitching, could lead to als or is it just normal.  Thanks.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi there. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a form of motor neuron disease, progressive, fatal , neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in CNS that control voluntary muscle movement. The earliest symptoms are typically weakness and muscle atrophy. other symptoms are muscle fasciculation, cramping, stiffness of affected muscles, muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg and slurred and nasal speech. Usually limb onset, symptoms in the arms, or legs , leg symptoms may experience awkwardness when walking or running or trip. Arm onset may experience difficulty with tasks requiring manual dexterity such as buttoning a shirt etc. in bulbar onset cases first noticed difficulty speaking clearly or swallowing. Speech may become slurred, nasal in character.  ALS diagnosis needs signs and symptoms of both upper and lower motor involvement includes tight and stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes including an overactive gag reflex. babinsky’s sign also indicates upper motor neuron damage. Symptoms of lower motor neuron degeneration include muscle weakness and atrophy, muscle cramps, and fleeting twitches of muscles seen under the skin. Consult a neurologist for a detailed evaluation. Take care.


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