Motor Neuron Disease Symptoms - First and Second Stages

Motor neuron diseases occur in about 5 out of 100,000 people, making the chances of getting the disease very slim, but once you get afflicted with MND, the chances of survival are very slim as well. This disease damages our motor neurons, which make us incapable of performing the simplest of bodily movements such as walking, talking, eating, and breathing. There are motor neuron disease symptoms that would eventually become evident around the ages between 50-70 years old. No one knows what the root cause of this sickness is, but once the symptoms start to show, you are in one hell of a trouble.

Motor neuron diseases develop and progress at various rates for different persons. There is no uniform level or rate of progression as it varies from one person to another, hence making the appearance of symptoms also variable. The disease usually starts out by making a person feel very weak and tired. After this, numbness in the hands or fingers would be felt and this is where the other symptoms would begin with. Other primary and general motor neuron disease symptoms would include:

• Muscle cramps and muscle stiffness, which is a very common symptom for having a motor neuron disease.
• Constipation, which is primarily due to restricted movement.
• Excess drool or saliva and difficulty in swallowing saliva and food, this is due to the fact that the MND targets the body's motor neurons and as such, a person cannot voluntarily control the muscles in his throat and mouth. 
• Breathing problems, also due to the damaged and destroyed motor neurons. 
• Pain and discomfort, which is due to quite obvious reasons. 

Having these symptoms may not necessarily mean that they are already motor neuron disease symptoms. Sometimes, these symptoms are caused by other diseases or sicknesses, so it's best not to jump on conclusions and consult with a doctor or healthcare professional first. Thinking is not usually directly affected by the disease, but most patients are observed to have some sort of change in personality.

As the disease progresses over a period of time, the motor neuron disease symptoms, as well as the overall gravity of the sickness, tend to worsen. During the first appearance of symptoms, the disease usually affects only a single part of the body, but as the years go by, it spreads all over the body and affects various regions all at once. Here are some of the stage two symptoms of a motor neuron disease:

• The throat muscles become damaged, hence swallowing and talking becomes nearly impossible to do.
• The various muscles in the hands, feet, legs, and fingers also become damaged, therefore making the performance of everyday tasks, such as opening the door and walking up the stairs, very difficult to perform. 
• The muscles in the chest also become affected, making it very difficult to breathe.
• A person would tend to cry or laugh more easily because of the physical changes that are being caused by the MND.

A person must not wait before he experiences the second wave of symptoms that this disease has. Treatment should be gotten as soon as possible; although there is yet to be cure for this condition, the chances of lessening the occurrence of the grave motor neuron disease symptoms might just be possible.