Breathing problems

Eventually ALS will paralyze the muscles that control breathing. You will need a device to help you breath especially when you sleep. Some choose to have a tracheostomy, a surgically created hole at the front of the neck leading to the trachea, for full-time use of a respirator to inflate and deflate their lungs.

The most common cause of death among people with ALS is respiratory failure. On the average, death occurs within 3 to 5 years after the symptoms begin.