The Parkinson’s disease- what is it all about?
The Parkinson’s disease has an effect on the way one moves. It takes places when certain nerve cells found in the brain do not function properly.
In general, these nerve cells produce a vital chemical known as dopamine. This chemical sends signals to that part of the nervous system that controls movement. It allows your muscle to move without problem and do what you wish to do. When one suffers from the Parkinson’s disease, these particular nerve cells stop working. As a result, there is not enough production of dopamine. This lack of dopamine in turn affects the ease with which you move around.
The Parkinson’s disease is a progressive one. That is, it degenerates as time go by. But commonly, this takes place gradually; it can happen over many years. There exist many efficient treatments that will allow one to live a complete life.
What are the causes of the Parkinson’s disease?
Nobody really knows with certainty the causes that make these nerve cells stop functioning. However, lots of scientists are engaging in in-depth research to find the answer. They are looking at every angle; studying various possible causes including aging and different poisons that are present in the environment.
The presence of abnormal genes seems to be leading to the Parkinson’s disease in many patients. But as of today, there is not sufficient evidence to prove that the disease is always inherited.
What are the symptoms of the Parkinson’s disease?
There are basically four principal symptoms of the Parkinson’s disease. They are as follows:
• Tremor, this refers to shaking or trembling. Tremor may have an effect on your hands.
• Stiffness settles in the muscles.
• The movement of the person becomes slow.
• Difficulties to balance or walk are encountered.
The first symptom that you may notice is tremor. The latter is among the most usual signs of the disease, though not everybody has it. More significantly, not every person who has tremor is necessarily a person with the Parkinson’s disease. Tremor commonly starts in only one arm or leg, or on just a particular side of the body. This tremor may affect you most when you are awake but not moving the limb that has been affected. On the contrary, this tremor may decrease when you keep moving the affected arm or leg or when you sleep.
Eventually, the Parkinson’s disease affects the muscles all throughout the body. As a consequence, it can lead to problems like not being able to swallow easily or constipating. In the advanced stages of the illness, someone suffering from the Parkinson’s disease may be found with speaking problems, having a blank expression on his face as well as other troubles. Some people affected by this disease are also found to suffer from a decrease in their mental skills.
Most often, people start to develop the symptoms of the disease in the age range of 50 to 60. But there are some people who tend to develop these symptoms earlier.
How can a diagnosis of the Parkinson’s disease be made?
The doctor will most probably question you about the symptoms that you are undergoing and about your past health state. He will also perform a neurological examination. This exam will include questions and tests that will verify the extent to which your nerves are operating well. Moreover, your doctor might ask you to walk around to check your movement, the strength of your muscle plus reflexes. He may also test your vision. In some situations, the doctor even asks their patients to try out some medicines, to see its effect on the patient, and hence determine whether or not he has the Parkinson’s disease. Questions regarding your mood may also be asked.
It should be noted that there exists no laboratory or blood tests which can make it easier for your doctor to detect the presence of the Parkinson’s disease. On the other hand, the tests conducted by your doctor may help in ruling out other diseases that might have possibly had a role to play in the development of your symptoms. For instance, you might have an MRI to look out for signs of strokes or brain tumor.
How can the Parkinson’s disease be treated?
At the moment there are not any cure for the Parkinson’s disease. Still, there exist numerous kinds of medicines that can keep the symptoms under control and hence make the disease simpler to live with.
If the symptoms that you are experiencing are moderate, you need not necessarily undergo treatment. Your doctor may even postpone giving you medicines until the symptoms begin to hinder your day-to-day life. Your doctor will regulate your prescription of medicines as your symptoms get worse in time. You may even require having several medicines to ensure the best of results.
One of the best drugs to fight against the symptoms of the Parkinson’s disease is the Levodopa, also known as the L-dopa. But it should be taken into consideration that using this medicine for a long period of time, or in taking a high dose of it can generate problems. Occasionally, doctors make use of other drugs in order to treat the Parkinson’s patients that are in the initial stages of the disease. Thus they are able to delay the treatment using levodopa. On the other hand, the other medicines also have their side effects and do not control the symptoms as well as levodopa does. Furthermore, in the long-term, problems will crop up no matter what medicines are used first or last.
The decision regarding when to start taking medicine, and which medicine to use, will differ from patient to patient. Your doctor will be of valuable help to you for making these decisions.
There are cases where a treatment named, deep brain stimulation, is also used.
In this particular treatment, the surgeon puts wires in his brain. These wires transmit minute electrical signals to the parts of the brain that control the movement of the person. These tiny signals are able to help those parts of the brain to work more effectively.
There are various options that you can adopt at home in order to enjoy a fine health. You should eat as much of healthy foods as you can. Try to get all the rest you need. Make good use of your energy, do not engage in unfruitful activities. Engaging in physical activities on a regular basis is also advised. Some occupational and physical therapy can also be useful.
How can the Parkinson’s disease affect your life?
Discovering that you have a long lasting, progressive disease will undoubtedly change your life. It is but normal to experience varied types of feelings. You may become frightened, angry, or worried about how the future may turn out. In such situations it is sensible to take note of some essential things:
• Nobody will know for sure about the evaluation of your disease. However, this disease progresses at a very slow pace. Many people live with trivial symptoms, such as tremor in one of the hands, for many years.
• Lots of people who have Parkinson’s disease can and actually do continue working for several years. As the Parkinson’s disease worsens, you may however need to change the nature of your work. You can always get support to learn new ways of working and adapt accordingly.
• It is very important that you become very much involve in your health care. You should first of all learn the maximum of information about the Parkinson’s disease. Find yourself a doctor whom you trust and with whom you can work with. Respect all your appointment and get all the treatment that your doctor proposes to you.
• Patients suffering from the Parkinson’s disease often become depressed. Therefore if you feel particularly miserable or desperate, try to talk about it to your doctor. You can even consult a counselor if you feel the need. You can even make use of antidepressants to help you fight against your depression.
• Knowing that you have support can make a big difference in your life. You can join Parkinson’s support groups, or search for online support groups that will understand and support you in your illness.
It should be well noted that Parkinson’s disease has an effect not only on the person who is affected by it but also his loved and close ones. It is thus necessary to adopt a comprehensive approach to handle the disease. Old age-disease should not be taken lightly.
Source: Yahoo Health
Mon, Feb 8, 2010
Gerontology, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity