While getting a diagnosis of FA may be tough, you can take charge and learn all you can about the disease
What is FA?
Friedreich’s ataxia (pronounced FREED-ricks ah-TACKS-ee-ah), or FA, is a rare condition that can be hard to understand. In simple terms, FA is a disease that mainly affects the nervous system and heart.
1 in every 30,000 to 50,000 people has FA.
Most people with FA start to have symptoms around or before puberty (10 to 15 years of age).
When you have FA, damage occurs to the nerves in your brain and spinal cord. This damage impacts communication between your brain and your body.
This results in a loss of muscle control, causing problems such as awkward and unsteady movements. While everyone has different symptoms, the first symptoms that usually appear are having a hard time walking and general clumsiness.
To learn more about the symptoms people with FA may experience and what happens when FA progresses, download the Disease Education Flashcard.
You may have heard of an assessment called mFARS. If you want to learn more about it, download the mFARS Flashcard.
Learn more about managing FA, including the importance of diet and exercise.
Download the Disease Education Flashcard to learn more about the symptoms of FA.
Find out about FA advocacy and suppport groups.
