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Parkinson's disease:Know the symptoms, causes & treatment

 PARKINSON'S DISEASE: KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DISEASE

Parkinson's disease is a progressive and degenerative neurological disorder that affects the movement of the body parts causing tremors, rigidity, changes in speech and gait of the person.  It gradually damages the nerve cells of the brain located in the region called substantia nigra. 

It has a gradual onset and the disease starts showing symptoms as the person is about to turn 50 or more.  It is believed that a portion of our nerve cells undergo degenerative changes that disrupts the nerve signals and thus the neuron function is lost or reduced. 

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter or chemical messenger released from the cells of basal ganglia. When these cells degenerate,  the neuron fails to send signals to the brain. The motor control is stimulated by dopamine.  As the brain does not receive signals, it causes hand tremors and body shakes as well as the other symptoms. 

Parkinson's disease is seen among elderly people who have a prior family history of such disease. The exacr cause of Parkinson's disease is not known. Genetics and family predisposition are the assumed causes of Parkinson's disease. 

What are the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

  • First common symptom seen in Parkinson's disease is change in the movements; there are uncontrollable tremors or shakes at rest. It may go unnoticed in the early stage. As the person ages, the symptoms increase in frequency and intensity thus making it noticeable.  Pinroll tremors are the common tremor type. Tremors usually show up when almost 60-80% cells of substantia nigra are impaired or lost. 
  • Unsteady gait, loss of balance while walking
  • Muscle rigidity and reduced range of motion
  • Difficulty in speech, slurred speech
  • Movement becomes slow and less (bradykinesia and hypokinesia)
  • Changes in the posture of the body
  • Parkinsonian gait, shuffling steps. 
  • Blank facial expression
  • Reduced eye movement, fixed gazed, less blinking
  • Difficulty writing, small handwriting
  • Psychotic symptoms 
  • Confusion and hallucinations
  • Anxiety, depression and self-talking

What are the causes of Parkinson's disease?


The exact cause of Parkinson's disease is not known. If we talk about the pathophysiology, something brings gradual degeneration of the neurons that release dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter or a chemical messenger that controls the important body functions like body movement and other cognitive functions. Increase or decrease in dopamine substantially affects the neurological status of the person. 

The degenerative changes take place over years and damage or break down the neurons completely and thus the symptoms of the disease start appearing. 

It is believed that there can be two supposed causes of Parkinson's disease:

  1. Genetics 
  2. Environmental factors

How is the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease made?

Lewy bodies are the biomarkers identified in the people having Parkinson's disease. The exact cause as to why these bodies are formed in the brain is yet unknown. 
Diagnosis is made by doing neurological assessment and thorough physical assessment of the symptoms. Family and past history of the patient also helps in making a diagnosis of Parkinson;s disease. 

What is the treatment of Parkinson's disease?


The degenerative changes in the Parkinson's disease cannot be reversed but further progression of the disease can be controlled and the person can get considerable relief from the symptoms. The person and the family both need to understand about the disease and its symptoms. Understanding the condition helps to plan the care and treatment of the person with Parkinson's. Family support and care plays a major role in treatment of a person living with Parkinson's disease. 

Treatment is usually done by :

  1. Medications, Levodopa is the drug of choice that supplements the dopamine needed fro motor and cognitive functions. 
  2. Adopting healthy lifestyle changes such as eating balanced diet, regular exercise and doing self care can help reduce the symptoms. 
  3. Engaging in physical activity and self-care. 
  4. Speech therapy,occupational therapy and physical therapy may provide benefit to live a quality life with Parkinson's. 
  5. Avoiding smoke and alcohol
  6. Brain surgery: some surgery may help reduce and alleviate the symptoms.

Disclaimer note: This blog post is for educational and informational purpose only. It is not a substitute for any medical advice, consultation and or treatment. See your doctor in any case. 

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