Symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease can be spotted early on.
Following the heartbreaking story of Justin Hammond that the ECHO covered this week, here are the symptoms of the debilitating disease. Justin, 50, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) 18 months ago, with him being an incredibly fit and active man up until a few years ago.
He is now a wheelchair user and is paralysed from his neck down, with his condition continuing to deteriorate. He works as a sales director at Princes in the Liver Building and is currently being at his home in Sale by his family which includes his parents and two daughters Rosie, 20, and Tilly, 14, as well as by a series of carers.
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MND is an uncommon condition that typically affects people in their 60s and 70s but can affect adults of all ages. The disease is incurable and significantly shortens people's life expectancy.
Symptoms of the disease happen gradually and are often not obvious at first. According to the NHS, early symptoms of MND can include:
- weakness in your ankle or leg – you might trip, or find it harder to climb stairs
- slurred speech, which may develop into difficulty swallowing some foods
- a weak grip – you might drop things, or find it hard to open jars or do up buttons
- muscle cramps and twitches
- weight loss – your arms or leg muscles may have become thinner over time
- difficulty stopping yourself from crying or laughing in inappropriate situations
Having a relative with either MND or frontotemporal dementia can sometimes mean you are more likely to have the disease. But it doesn't run in families in most cases.
You should see a GP if someone has possible early symptoms, although it is unlikely that you have MND but getting a correct diagnosis as early as possible can help people get the care needed.
People should also visit the GP if someone in their family has MND or frontotemporal dementia. The GP may someone for genetic counselling to talk about the risk.
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