Ataxia: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment


Sometimes we come across medical terms that can cause confusion and sometimes fear, as is the case with ataxia.

This can occur at the time of a diagnosis, either your own or that of a family member, or even during a conversation with friends.

But, regardless of where or when we hear the term, we don't always understand exactly what ataxia means, much less what it can cause in the person suffering from the problem.

Therefore, below, we will better understand what ataxia is, its different types and the treatments available for the problem.

 

Ataxia is a neurological disorder that affects muscle coordination and balance. Thus, people with ataxia often have difficulty controlling their voluntary movements, causing problems such as:

Unstable gait, i.e. difficulty walking
tremors
frequent falls
Difficulty swallowing and speaking
difficulty writing

Furthermore, ataxia can be caused by different factors, as we will see later.