Parkinson’s Disease
A disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement, often including tremors. Nerve cell damage in the brain causes dopamine levels to drop, leading to the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s often starts with a tremor in one hand. Other symptoms are slow movement, stiffness and loss of balance. In the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, your face may show little or no expression. Your arms may not swing when you walk. Your speech may become soft or slurred. Parkinson’s disease symptoms worsen as your condition progresses over time.
Although Parkinson’s disease can’t be cured, medications might significantly improve your symptoms. Occasionally, your doctor may suggest surgery to regulate certain regions of your brain and improve your symptoms.
Symptoms
Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms can be different for everyone. Early signs may be mild and go unnoticed. Symptoms often begin on one side of your body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect both sides. Parkinson’s signs and symptoms may include:
- Tremor:A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth, known as a pill-rolling tremor. Your hand may tremble when it’s at rest.
- Slowed movement (bradykinesia):Over time, Parkinson’s disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when you walk. It may be difficult to get out of a chair. You may drag your feet as you try to walk.
- Rigid muscles:Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can be painful and limit your range of motion.
- Impaired posture and balance:Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems as a result of Parkinson’s disease.
- Loss of automatic movements:You may have a decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.
- Speech changes:You may speak softly, quickly, slur or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than have the usual inflections.
- Writing changes:It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small.
Causes
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that develops when changes occur in the brain. Precisely why it happens is unclear, but scientists have identified some variations that occur.
Low Dopamine Level: Parkinson’s disease symptoms mainly result from low or falling level of dopamine Trusted source, a neurotransmitter. It happens when that produce dopamine die in the brain. Dopamine plays a vital role in sending messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. Therefore, low dopamine levels can make it harder for the people to control their movement. As dopamine levels continue to fall, symptoms gradually become more severe.
Low norepinephrine levels: Parkinson’s disease may also involve trusted source damage to the nerve ending that produce another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, which contributes to blood circulation and other automatic body functions. Low level of norepinephrine in Parkinson’s disease may increase the risk of both motor and non-motor symptoms, such as:
- Stiffness and rigidity
- Post instability
- Tremor
- Anxiety
- Difficulty focusing
- Dementia
- Depression
This may explain trusted source why people with Parkinson’s disease commonly experience orthostatic hypotension. This refer to when a person’s blood pressure changes when they stand up, leading to light headedness and risk of falling.
Lewy bodies: A person with Parkinson’s disease may have clumps of protein trusted source known as alpha-synuclein, or Lewy bodies, in their brain. The accumulation of Lewy bodies can cause a loss of nerve cells, leading to changes in movement, thinking, behaviour and mood. It can also lead to dementia. Lewy body dementia is not the same as Parkinson’s disease, but people may have both as the symptoms are similar.
Genetic Factor: Experts have identified changes in several genes that appear to have links with Parkinson’s disease, but they don’t consider it a hereditary condition. Genetic factors appear to cause 10% trusted source of cases, mostly among people with early onset disease.
Autoimmune factors: In a 2017 study trusted source, Scientists found a possible genetic link between Parkinson’s disease and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. In 2018, researchers investigating health records in Taiwan found the people with autoimmune rheumatic disease had 1.37 higher chance of also having Parkinson’s disease.
Risk Factor
Risk factors for Parkinson’s disease include:
- Age:Young adults rarely experience Parkinson’s disease. It ordinarily begins in middle or late life, and the risk increases with age. People usually develop the disease around age 60 or older.
- Heredity:Having a close relative with Parkinson’s disease increases the chances that you’ll develop the disease. However, your risks are still small unless you have many relatives in your family with Parkinson’s disease.
- Sex:Men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than are women.
- Exposure to toxins:Ongoing exposure to herbicides and pesticides may slightly increase your risk of Parkinson’s disease.
- Past traumatic brain injury trusted source: Head injuries from contact sports for example, may increase the risk of the condition.
- Some drugs and medication: Certain medicines can lead to Parkinsonism, where a person has tremors and other symptoms but does not have Parkinson’s disease.
Treatment
Parkinson’s disease can’t be cured, but medications can help control your symptoms, often dramatically. In some more advanced cases, surgery may be advised. Your doctor may also recommend lifestyle changes, especially ongoing aerobic exercise. In some cases, physical therapy that focuses on balance and stretching also is important. A speech-language pathologist may help improve your speech problems.
Medications may help you manage problems with walking, movement and tremor. These medications increase or substitute for dopamine. People with Parkinson’s disease have low brain dopamine concentrations. However, dopamine can’t be given directly, as it can’t enter your brain. You may have significant improvement of your symptoms after beginning Parkinson’s disease treatment. Over time, however, the benefits of drugs frequently diminish or become less consistent. You can usually still control your symptoms fairly well.
Prevention
It is not possible to prevent Parkinson’s disease, but some lifelong habits may help reduce the risk.
Avoiding toxins: People should take precaution when using potentially toxic chemicals trusted source, such as herbicides, pesticides, and solvents.
- avoiding the unnecessary use of pesticides and herbicides
- using alternatives to products containing known toxins, such as paraquat
- taking precautions, such as wearing protective clothing, when it is not possible to avoid them
Avoid head trauma
- wearing protective headgear during contact sports
- wearing a helmet when cycling or motorcycling
- using a safety belt when traveling by car
- seeking medical attention for concussion and avoiding future risks until a doctor says it is safe to do so
Dietary factors: Some dietary choices may also help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s and other diseases. Research has shown that the following may help
- Turmeric: A mild spice people can add to curries, soups, teas, and other foods. It contains curcumin, an antioxidant ingredient. According to one laboratory study, it may help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease by preventing oxidative stress and the clumping of alpha-synuclein protein.
- Flavonoids: Research suggests this antioxidant may lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Berries, apples, some vegetables, tea, and red grapes contain flavonoids.
- Avoiding aldehydes: Heating and reusing some cooking oils, such as sunflower oil, may cause aldehydes to form, which are toxic chemicals with links trusted source to Parkinson’s and other diseases. Research from 2020 trusted source suggests that potatoes fried in previously used cooking oils could have high levels of aldehydes.
