Friedreich's ataxia is a rare inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system and movement problems. The ataxia gradually worsens and slowly spreads to the arms and the trunk. Medication for heart disease – Medications such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors are often used to treat the symptoms of the heart disease related to this condition. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD. However, with good medical care, some people with less severe cases can live into their sixties or seventies. Slow or slurred speech. FA is a debilitating and life shortening disorder, and it affects about one in every 50,000 people in the United States. National Institute of Child Health & Human Development Vision loss. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care. lack of reflexes in your legs. Ataxia: The first symptom to appear is usually difficulty walking. Tiredness. A sign of a number of neurological disorders, ataxia can cause: 1. The first indication generally is difficulty walking (gait ataxia). Initial symptoms may include unsteady posture, frequent falling, and progressive difficulty in walking due to impaired ability to coordinate voluntary movements (ataxia). Diabetes. Symptoms of Friedreich's Ataxia. Many develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and require a mobility aid such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair in their teens. The rate of disease progression varies. These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. There are over 60 varieties. People with the same disease may not have Symptoms Causes Prognosis Inheritance Living with FA Treatments Toggle menu. More About Us. Symptoms usually start between the age of 5 and 15 years. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments. Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. (HPO) . We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. Loss of reflexes. Sometimes, patients with Friedreich’s ataxia can also develop some type of heart disease, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Do you know of a review article? Ataxia affects over 150,000 people in the US and over 200,000 worldwide. Friedreich's ataxia. Neurological symptoms include awkward, unsteady movements, impaired sensory function, speech problems, and vision and hearing loss.Thinking and reasoning abilities are not ... 1 More on Friedreich ataxia » In many cases, this disorder also affects the heart, certain bones and cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Because Friedreich's ataxia affects many organs, it can produce a variety of symptoms: Neuromuscular symptoms involving the limbs include clumsy, shaking movements (ataxia) of the arms and legs, difficulty walking, paralysis of the leg muscles, difficulty moving the arms, and loss of sensation (especially vibration and sense of position) in the limbs. Chest pain. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. A progressive and debilitating neurological disorder that causes difficulty walking, clumsiness, and impaired speech. In a person with Friedreich's ataxia, a segment of the genetic code on chromosome number 9 can have as many as 1,000 repetitions, instead of the normal range of 7 to 22. It is important to remember that FA affects individuals in a variety of ways and different degrees. Tiredness. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. It is a recessive genetic disorder. As the disease gets worse, people may develop bony deformities of the spine and feet, loss of sensation in the limbs, speech problems, abnormal eye movements, heart disease and diabetes. Friedreich’s Ataxia. It is an inherited disease derived from a mutation or defect in the FXN gene, and one copy of it has to come from both parents for an individual to develop the disease. Ultimately, almost everyone with Friedreich's ataxia is confined to a wheelchair, and a large percentage of people develop serious heart problems, including heart failure. If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. Symptoms may be worse in some people than in others and some symptoms may not appear at all. What are the symptoms of Friedreich’s ataxia? 2. Loss of reflexes. The illness typically begins with difficulty walking. In Friedreich's ataxia (FA), the sequence and severity of symptoms varies greatly from person to person. 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