5. Trouble swallowing / Slurred Speech
When there’s an onset of ALS, weakness in voluntary movements becomes more pronounced. Salivation increases, and the ability to swallow lessens. Instead, drooling happens even while awake.
Clearing away mucus that culminates in the throat becomes next to impossible or extremely difficult to deal with. In some cases, it can obstruct the airways.
Eventually, because of these weaknesses involuntary movements, the body’s muscular structure begins to atrophy even further. Difficulty in breathing can arise in the advanced stages of ALS.
At this stage, many doctors will implement a breathing apparatus in patients to improve their quality of life.
Slurred speech is commonly misdiagnosed. Since the muscles are atrophying, the ability to form words becomes limited. This slurred speech is also due to the lungs losing muscular strength. The diagnosis usually points to dysarthria. Dysarthria is a term used to describe slow, and effortful slurred speech, and a breathy voice.