Machado-Joseph Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability
The word ataxia, comes from a Greek word, a taxis that means incoordination or without order. Ataxia means a lack of coordination or without coordination. Ataxia can refer to a sign or symptom of incoordination that is associated with injuries, infections, other diseases or degenerative changes in your central nervous system. Ataxia also refers to a group of specific degenerative diseases of your nervous system. These are called sporadic and hereditary ataxias. The reason ataxia causes problems with your coordination is because if affects the parts of your nervous system that controls balance and movement. Ataxia can affect your hands, fingers, arms, body, legs, eye and speech movements. Machado-Joseph disease is an extremely rare hereditary type of ataxia. It is also referred to as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Machado-Joseph disease affects your central nervous system. This is especially true of the areas that control the movement coordination of your facial muscles, eyes and limbs. This disease is characterized by the progressive and slow degeneration of areas of your brain that are involved in motor coordination. An unusual thing about Machado-Joseph disease is that it is not named after the researchers who discovered it in 1972. It is named after William Machado and Antone Joseph who were the patriarchs of the families in which the disease was first described. Machado-Joseph disease can occur in anyone of any ethnic background. However, it is most common in people who are of Azorean or Portuguese ancestry. There are several signs and symptoms that you may experience with Machado-Joseph disease. These include:- Problems with swallowing and speech
- Spasticity (rigid or stiff muscles with exaggerated, deep tendon reflexes)
- A lurching staggering gait that may be easily mistaken for being drunk
- Slow progressive weakness and clumsiness in your legs and arms
- Frequent urination
- Dystonia (a neurological movement disorder that involves sustained muscle contractions that cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures)
- Blurred or double vision
- Twitching of your tongue or face
- Involuntary eye movements
- Loss of the ability to distinguish contrast and/or color.
