All you need to know about Parkinsons disease

Parkinsons disease was first discovered by a doctor in the 1800's called Dr James Parkinson. He presented a paper in 1817 (An essay on the shaking palsy) whereby he was able to link up the tremors (or palsy) associated with the disease to disorders in the brain.

Research has dramatically progressed since the cause was first discovered, and though at the time of writing there is not yet a cure, it can very often be very well controlled for many years in most people.

One of the reasons a cure hasn't been found is because there are so many factors to take into account as to what might cause it in the first place. These include hereditary, environmental and other factors.

Parkinsons disease is no respecter of wealth, or race, though it is found more in European types than those of African origin. Despite the fact that it is usually found in people aged above the age of 50 with the risk of contracting the disease increasing as you get older, many younger people have also developed the disease. It is also very widespread across the world, with approximately 150-200 cases per 1000,000 of the population. It should also be noted that men are more prone to develop the disease than women.

One interesting fact about parkinsons disease and something which may go a long way to discovering a cure is that scientists have discovered nine specific genetic defects which may cause the disease to run in families. Though the incidence of familial or hereditary Parkinson's disease is comparatively rare, there are still a number of families where the incidence of the disease runs incredibly high for some members. If the linking mutant gene could be discovered, it would possibly be the spring board to discovering a cure.

It should be noted that having a family member or parent who does suffer from parkinsons disease does not automatically assume any siblings, children etc will also automatically develop it.

A favourite theory as to why this disease develops is linked to a combination of environmental toxins. Many modern toxins are known to cause specific diseases and though the link to Parkinson's disease has yet to be proved, it does raise a strong suspicion. Toxins which are thought to be the culprits include pesticides and industrial metals.

There is also a school of thought that previous head trauma can also trigger Parkinson's disease. There are many famous people who have developed this disease, one being the famous boxer Muhammad Ali. Obviously there is the probability that he would have developed the disease anyway, but many people have wondered whether the constant blows to his head were also a precipitating factor and aggravated any symptoms etc already there.

Parkinson's disease can be controlled effectively with the right combination of drugs.

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More articles below on this topic

A Daughters Perspective
Dad started with the tremors first, we all laughed and teased him and accused him of being a secret drinker. (He was teetotal). We put it down to age creeping up on him, and as it didn't seem to bother him too much, it didn't really bother us either. (It was later he told us it had bothered him very much, but he didn't want to worry us)!...more

Alternative Treatment
While conventional practitioners who are schooled in Western methods tend to be skeptical of traditional Eastern and other types of therapy, insurance companies are increasingly inclined to pay for alternative and complementary therapies – which says a great deal about their possible effectiveness. Even most Western doctors agree that some of these treatments can help preserve function in many patients....more

An Overview
What do Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Pope John Paul II and the Reverend Billy Graham have in common? Aside from the obvious answer that they’re all famous people, they all share a common diagnosis – Parkinsons Disease. It’s a diagnosis that they share with millions of adults around the world. According to the National Institutes of Health, Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting American adults – right after Alzheimer’s Disease....more

Bowel Problems
Constipation is the most common bowel problem for Parkinsonism sufferers.

The stiffness and slowness of movement that exemplifies certain behaviour patterns for sufferers of the Parkinsonism disorders, also affects the muscles of the bowel wall. This coupled with the fact that people with Parkinsonism do not tend to get much exercise either, due to the lack of mobility and rigidity they experience; means that the bowel does not get stimulated enough to work properly....more

Care Givers
Make your life (and that of the person you are caring for as easy as possible). Look around your home and think of how you can rearrange it so the person you are caring for can get around it much easier. Remember their mobility is decreasing, and the more space and assistance you give them here, means less hard physical work for you....more

Complications
Some of the medications used to treat Parkinsons have side effects that can cause some complications. The most common of these is dyskinesia – involuntary twitching or jerking of the arms or legs. Other side effects include hallucinations, sleepiness and orthostatic hypotension – a drop in blood pressure when standing up which can result in dizziness and loss of balance....more

Coping Skills
Be proactive in seeking information and treatment. While you may feel anxious or out of control, don’t let others make your decisions – especially those about your medical decisions – for you. Maintain an active role in your own treatment, including scheduling your own appointments and keeping them....more

Deep Brain Stimulation
The decision to try DBS is one that should be made by your doctor after an evaluation of your symptoms and your general health. Studies have shown that those who benefit the most from DBS are those who are in good general health, maintain normal memory and cognitive functioning, and are still responding (at least some of the time) to treatment with levodopa....more

Depression
Detecting depression in a person suffering from Parkinsons disease can be difficult due to the lack of a standard assessment tool. Depression is estimated to be quite common as over half the people suffering from the disease also suffer from depression....more

Diagnosis
A neurologist typically will evaluate you for the five major symptoms of Parkinson’s disease – tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, freezing and postural instability. Bradykinesia is slow movements, and postural instability suggests a loss of balance. Generally, if you have two of the five symptoms and one of them is either tremors or rigidity, the neurologist will make a diagnosis of Parkinsonism....more

Diet
sufferers usually tend to be underweight. Sometimes this may be related to swallowing problems that they may experience. A way to deal with this is to have 3 regular daily meals or 4 smaller ones AND snacks in between. You can also substitute full cream milk, as opposed to semi-skimmed, or skimmed milk (if that is what you currently have) into your diet and add high calorie foods such as cream, sugar and butter to meals....more

Drugs
One of the main drugs used for the treatment of Parkinsons is "levadopa". Levadopa is a natural amino acid that is converted into dopamine by the brain. Dopamine itself cannot be transferred from blood stream to brain - but levadopa can....more

Exercise
Exercise that can be undertaken by someone who does not suffer extensively from tremors or rigidity etc is walking. Walking is one of the best types of exercise there is and it should be positively encouraged in anyone who is able to take walks for as long as they are able.

Swimming is also an excellent form of exercise, and once walking becomes too difficult for the sufferer, then swimming can be an excellent alternative....more

Explained
There is a lot of thought on what actually causes a person to develop Parkinsons disease, though research already carried out seems to point to factors such as genetics, environmental factors, viral problems and toxins....more

How Widespread is this disease?
More people are affected with Parkinsons Disease than with Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis and Lou Gehrig’s Disease combined....more

In Plain Languauage-Faq
Could the doctor be wrong?
Yes. Because Parkinsons disease in the early stages resembles several other problems, there’s a possibility that your doctor is wrong. If you’re not sure about your diagnosis, you can ask to see another doctor for a second diagnosis....more

In Plain Language- Parkinsons and Life
Will I have to stop working?
How Parkinson’s disease affects your employment depends on just how severe the symptoms are and how much they interfere with your ability to do your job. Many people continue to work without any problems for years after their diagnosis....more

Is it Parkinsons?
It usually takes a specialist to distinguish what illness exactly a person is suffering from before a diagnosis is made. It is estimated that many people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are actually suffering from some other disease which have very similar symptoms....more

Is There a Cure?
There have been many research projects conducted into looking for a cure for Parkinson's disease, which includes controversial embryonic stem and adult stem cells research....more

Living With the Disease
You’re not the only one who has traveled this road, and there are many ways and kinds of help available to you. Among those are special services to deal with physical needs; therapy and counselling; support groups; in home services to help with housekeeping, cleaning and physical tasks that have become difficult; online support groups and discussion groups to help you learn more about the options available to you....more

Mimicking
Some neurological conditions that are often confused with Parkinsons disease include
• Multiple system atrophy
• Supranuclear palsy
• Benign Essential Tremor
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Huntington’s disease
• Striato-Nigral Degeneration
• Brain tumour....more

Motor System Disorders
Most motor system disorders are the result of a loss of a chemical in the brain called Dopamine. Dopamine carries messages to the part of the brain which deals with co-ordination and movement. When the dopamine supply is reduced, the messages are reduced or cease which results in the body becoming unable to move as it should do....more

Other Drugs
A relatively new class of drug that’s used in treating the symptoms of Parkinsons disease are known as COMT inhibitors. Like selegiline, they prolong the effects of L-dopa by preventing the breakdown of dopamine – in the liver instead of by the nerve cell receptors. One COMT inhibitors, Tasmar, has been associated with liver damage, and is typically only prescribed for patients who are not responding to other types of therapy. Another COMT inhibitor, entacapone, may help manage fluctuations of motion that occurs in patients who are taking L-dopa. It has not been associated with liver damage at all...more

Risk Factors
If you are exposed to pesticides and herbicides, you have an increased risk of developing the disease. You also have an increased risk if you live in a rural area or on a farm, or drink well water....more

Self Care
Talk to your doctor about exercises that help improve your balance. One that’s especially good is Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art that emphasizes slow, graceful movements to relax the muscles and joints....more

Sex
Some spouses are afraid of hurting their partner, especially just after diagnosis. Some people notice that the tremors and shaking are worse following lovemaking and believe that this is making the disease itself worse. These are in fact due to an expanding of energy and are temporary....more

Speech Problems
It is thought that between 60-90% of Parkinsons disease sufferers will eventually have problems with their speech, and these problems can manifest in specific ways which include speaking in either a monotone or unintelligible rubbish. Sometimes they seem to hesitate before actually speaking which can give the impression that there is some memory impairment or dementia....more

Surgery
If brain surgery is considered to be an effective method of treating Parkinsons disease, then one procedure a patient may undergo is an operation called a Pallidotomy. This consists of a tiny hole being drilled into the skull and an electric probe used to destroy a tiny amount of a brain matter called global pallidus....more

Symptoms
The progress of the disease varies from patient to patient. Among the symptoms that Parkinsons Disease may display are:
- Limb tremors
- Rigidity of the limbs
- Slowed movements as the muscles fail to respond to directives from the brain
- Difficulty walking and a characteristic shuffling gait
- Stooped posture
- Limited facial movements
- Depression
- Dementia
- Balance disturbances leading to falls
- Micrographia (small, cramped and illegible writing)....more

The Five Stages
Once your neurologist has made a definitive diagnosis of Parkinsons disease, he or she will consider treatments for the disease based on the perceived stage of the disease. The five stages of the disease offered by the Hoehn and Yahr scale are characterized by the degree of disability and the severity of the symptoms....more

Treatment
There are several surgical treatments which can eliminate or reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. These include procedures that destroy small clusters of cells in different areas of the brain which cause those tremors. One of the newer surgical treatments for Parkinson’s disease is Deep Brain Stimulation, in which surgeons implant electrodes in different areas of the brain. The electrodes are then stimulated via an implant similar to a pacemaker....more

Warning Signs
There are some early tell tale signs of the disease that if spotted early enough could assist in an early diagnosis being made. Many specialists estimate that when a conclusive diagnosis of Parkinsons is made, over 80% of dopamine has been lost from the brain. In these instances, if the disease had been caught early enough it could maybe have been slowed down by treatment, giving the sufferer a longer period of a good quality of life....more

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