The lifespan of someone diagnosed is not too promising; fifty percent of patients live three or more years, twenty percent live five or more, and less than ten percent live more than ten years (“Who Gets ALS?”). The aggressiveness of ALS varies greatly between patients. Three to five years is the average survival rate, while some have lived longer than ten years. Many cases start with the loss of speech, swallowing, or control of limbs (“Symptoms and Diagnosis”).
The first warning signs of the disease can be very different between cases. One person may not be able to grasp or squeeze anything, while another may have a different vocal pitch. The symptoms may sneak up on the patient; they are very gradual. Loss of muscle control is usually painless, and a key factor in diagnosing. Tripping, …show more content…
A patient may need to have blood taken and/or spit into a tube. If tests are more complicated, results may take longer. People under the age of eighteen are not recommended for testing, since ALS usually occurs later in life. The goal of genetic tests are to see if there is a mutation or abnormality in the DNA sequence that may translate into a disease. These tests may explain a few things; it could determine if the cause of ALS is genetic, or it allows other family members to get tested. They may not change treatment or tell a person without symptoms when they will start showing. 6,000 dollars is the average cost of genetic testing, for all known genes of FALS. 1,500-2,000 dollars is the average for one gene, but only 400 dollars if the gene is already known (Hartzfeld,