“ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it. The exact cause is still not known in most people. In a small percentage of people, ALS is inherited from a parent.

Symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) vary from person to person and worsen over time. They depend on which nerve cells are affected. ALS generally begins with muscle weakness that spreads and gets worse over time.

There’s generally no pain in the early stages of ALS, and pain is not common in the later stages. ALS doesn’t usually affect bladder function or the senses, such as taste, smell, touch and hearing.”

MAYO CLINIC (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – Care at Mayo Clinic – Mayo Clinic)