Identification

• Lou Gehrig's disease is also referred to as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and is named after baseball professional Lou Gehrig who was stricken with the disease in 1939, quickly succumbing to his illness two years later at the age of 37. According to the ALS Association of Calabasas Hills, California, Lou Gehrig's disease is a degenerative disorder that has a negative impact on nerve cells located in the brain and spinal cord. The nerve cells ultimately die and fail to transmit signals to the muscles, resulting in muscle weakness and deterioration (atrophy). Advanced stages of Lou Gehrig's disease can lead to complete paralysis.
  
  

Muscle Weakness

• Muscle weakness is a classic early sign of Lou Gehrig's disease. At first, the muscles in just one of the arms or legs may feel weak, stiff and painful, but as the disease progresses, all of the limbs begin to experience the same uncomfortable symptoms. According to MayoClinic.com, physicians diagnose Lou Gehrig's disease based on the degree of muscle weakness that is discovered during an electromyogram (EMG) and a Nerve Conduction Study (NCS). Each of these diagnostic tests record electrical activity in the muscles, which can determine exactly how much collateral damage the muscles have incurred while in the grips of Lou Gehrig's disease.
  
  

Limb Impairment

• Eventually, the loss of muscle activity leads to mobility issues and impairment of the limbs in patients with Lou Gherig's disease. According to the University of California, San Francisco, the disease causes loss of coordination in the limbs, which can make it difficult for patients to walk. Sometimes, limb impairments can even cause an individual to drag one of the legs while walking. When Lou Gherig's disease results in the impairment of the arms, everyday tasks become a problem. Something as simple as tying a shoe or buttoning a shirt can become a challenge; eventually, the impairments become so debilitating that all motor skills cease completely.
  
  

Speech

• The U.S. National Library of Medicine reports that a condition known as "dysarthria" commonly affects patients afflicted with Lou Gehrig's disease. Dysarthria is marked by slurred speech and poorly formed words. Dysarthria eventually affects a person's vocal chords, and can make it increasingly difficult for Lou Gehrig's patients to express themselves verbally. The condition ultimately results in completely losing the ability to use language.
  
  

Breathing

• The late-stage symptoms of Lou Gehrig's disease can be quite severe. According to John Hopkins Medical Center, shortness of breath and difficulty swallowing are the two major signs that the disease has progressed significantly. Unlike the digestive and cardiovascular systems, breathing and swallowing both involve "voluntary" muscle movements. Therefore, it is inevitable that once Lou Gehrig's progresses, it eventually affects the muscles that control patients' ability to breathe and swallow their meals. Breathing and physical therapy exercises can be effective in counteracting these symptoms in the short term.