Ataxia....?

i got told it seems i have Ataxia. i looked at the symptoms and i fit Cerebellar Ataxia. i had a "special" birth and we were told i may have Cerebral Palsy. i never developed it. so i went to a hand therapist for a injury and she said she suspected i had Ataxia. i fit all the symptoms but it says its a symptom i.e. it has a underlying cause.

what are some underlying causes for ataxia, i mean what are some diseases that have Ataxia?


tx for answering

i got told by a therapist that she thinks i have Ataxia. i'm not just clumsy i have other problems too

well damage to your cerebellum can be the cause. this is not a disease but an underlaying cause. I really think that this is with your cerebellum if it involves movements and being uncoordinated.

but you could just be clumsy too lol

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okay you may have it, did you not read the rest of my answer.

Hi there...
yes, ataxia is caused by lesions on the cerebellum.
This might be due to a variety of causes, and that might include your 'special' birth (how old are you by the way? Did your symptoms manifest recently?). Along with it there are a number of reasons behind a cerebellar lesion, from trauma to multiple sclerosis, benign tumors and more.

Why don't you ask your doc for a CT scan (really stupid exam I did it myself a million times. You just lie down still)? It might help you shun your bad thoughts away.

xxx
F.

Ataxia means "lack of order". Medically, it's used to describe a lack of coordination of gross voluntary motor control (big movements that you tell your brain to do, such as walking or writing). It can be caused by a number of lesions (damaged areas) at a number of locations. Here's some different types of ataxia and some tests you can do to guess which one you have:

-cerebellar ataxia: if you have trouble standing with your feet together with your eyes open, and have a wide stance when walking
-sensory ataxia: if you have trouble standing with your feet close together and your eyes closed, or trouble walking in the dark
-vestibular ataxia: if you feel dizzy, and nauseous, and feel off-balance

There can be many causes for damages to all of these different brain and nerve centres, from traumatic injury, to drugs, to inherited disease, to a simple vitamin deficiency (are you getting enough milk and meat?), and the list goes on.

It's hard to pinpoint a cause without doing lots of exams, which I'm sure your doctor will do. Cerebral Palsy usually shows up at around 3 years of age, and doesn't get worse over time, so it's likely not that.

Diseases that cause ataxia are rare and usually hereditary, meaning that you inherit it from someone in your family. If one of your family members has a problem with movement co-ordination, make sure your doc investigates that disease. Alcoholism can also cause ataxia.

With proper exams, your doc should be able to diagnose and treat the source of your ataxia (in most cases). Try not to worry!