Celebrity4 min(s) read
Early symptoms of ALS as 'Grey's Anatomy' actor Eric Dane dies aged 53
Actor Eric Dane has passed away at the age of 53 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS.
The Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria actor had bravely shared his health battle publicly in order to raise further awareness of the devastating condition, including the subtle symptoms that pushed him to get a diagnosis.
What is ALS?
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH), ALS - formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease - is a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons, which are the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing.
As these motor neurons degenerate and die, they stop sending messages to the muscles, causing them to weaken, twitch, and waste away.
Eventually, this also begins to affect voluntary movements including the ability to walk, talk, and chew, as well as breathing.
The condition is progressive, meaning it gets worse with time.
What are the first symptoms of ALS?
According to the NIH, early symptoms of ALS include muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue, as well as tightness or cramping in the muscles.
Some people also experience muscle weakness in an arm or leg, or their neck, slurred or nasal speech, or difficulty with chewing and swallowing.
As the disease progresses, muscle weaknesses can spread to other parts of the body and become more extreme.
People with ALS can later develop problems with eating, drooling, speaking, and breathing, as well as unintended emotional outbursts, constipation, and difficulty maintaining a healthy weight and taking in enough nutrients due to the issues with chewing and swallowing.
Can ALS be treated or cured?
There is no cure for ALS and no treatment can reverse damage to motor neurons, but some treatments can slow the progress of the disorder, improve the patient's quality of life, and extend their survival.
The earlier ALS is diagnosed, the more likely it is that treatment can help to slow and manage the condition.
Treatments include medication as well as speech therapy and physiotherapy to manage the condition, as well as support with nutrition, breathing, and feeding.
Who is more likely to get ALS?
Although ALS can affect individuals of any age, symptoms usually develop between the ages of 55 and 75, and men are slightly more likely to develop ALS than women, though the gap decreases the older you get.
What symptoms did Eric Dane experience that led to his ALS diagnosis?
Eric Dane opened up about his diagnosis with ALS in April 2025, after spending nine months and several doctors visits and tests to try and get a diagnosis.
He revealed in a powerful interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America that the first warning sign of his ALS diagnosis was what he initially believed to be ordinary hand fatigue.
“I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand, and I didn't really think anything of it at the time,” he explained.
“I thought maybe I had been texting too much, or my hand was fatigued. But a few weeks later, I noticed it had gotten a little worse.”
Dane revealed that the ongoing hand issue led him to seek help from not one, but two hand specialists — who then passed him along to two neurologists. The last one finally told him: “This is way above my pay grade.”
He revealed that his diagnosis had put his life into perspective, adding: "I'm angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there's a very good chance I'm going to be taken from my girls while they're very young."
Dane’s father died by suicide when the actor was just seven years old. Dane leaves behind his daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, whom he shared with his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart.
Our thoughts remain with Dane's loved ones, friends, and fans at this heartbreaking time.