Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system.
Characterized by impaired muscular coordination and tremors, Parkinson’s is a chronic and progressive disease, affecting the part of the brain that controls the movement of muscles.
Parkinson’s is termed progressive because the symptoms worsen over time.
It’s difficult to manage – and exactly what causes this disease is still not known.
This is what you need to know:
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Parkinson’s Disease
1. About Parkinson’s Disease
2. Symptoms of Parkinson’s
3. Most Common Features Unpacked
1. About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system, characterized by impaired muscular coordination and tremors. It is also a neurodegenerative disorder that is chronic and progressive, affecting the part of the brain that controls the movement of muscles. Parkinson’s disease is also termed progressive because the symptoms worsen over time.
The most common form is Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, the cause of this is not known. Other forms of Parkinson’s include:
– Postencephalitic Parkinsonism, Drug-Induced Parkinsonism
– Striatonigral Degeneration, Toxin-Induced Parkinsonism,
– Arteriosclerotic Parkinsonism or Pseudoparkinsonism.
Exactly what causes this disease is still not known, although many researchers suspect that it could be caused due to a combination of facts, such as: accelerated aging; hereditary predisposition; environmental toxins; and free radicals.
2. Signs and Symptoms
The progress of the disease can either occur gradually, over time, or swiftly.
While some people are able to function comparatively well, other people experience profound disability.
Parkinson’s disease symptoms can vary from one moment to another as well as from one day to another, the reason for this variation of symptoms is not quite clear. Some scientists attribute the variations to the process of the disease or to the medications taken for it.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include:
– Tremors: Usually starts with a slight trembling of the hand.
– Bradykinesia: Slowing down of movement.
– Rigidity of Muscles
– Parkinsonian gait: This is the difficulty in walking.
– Impaired Balance
– Impairment of Automatic Movements: This is movements like Swinging the arms while walking, smiling and blinking.
– Impairment of Speech: There is often difficulty in speaking, known as hypophonia.
– Difficulty in Swallowing: This usually occurs in the advanced stages of the disease.
– Dementia: Also occurs with Parkinson’s disease, occurring in its later stages.
Most Common Features of Parkinsons: Unpacked
– Tremors
Tremors usually begin with a slight trembling of the hand, or even a single finger, or the forearm. Tremor can also occur in the foot. These tremors have a tendency of occurring when the limb is at rest, disappearing while carrying out tasks. Sometimes the chin and mouth can also tremble. Although most people find tremors very distressing, it is generally not disabling.
– Bradykinesia
Bradykinesia is a slowing down of voluntary movement. Not only does difficulty occur when movement is initiated, but it is also difficult to complete the movement once it is set in motion. This occurs due to the reduction of dopamine, which causes delay in the transmission of signals from the brain to the muscles.
– Rigidity of Muscles
Stiffness of the muscles can cause pain in the muscles and create a mask-like, expressionless face. This symptom has the tendency of increasing during movement. Rigidity may also affect the neck and limbs
– Parkinsonian Gait
The unsteady gait associated with this disease is one of its characteristic symptoms. People afflicted with this disease have a tendency of either leaning forward or backward unnaturally. They also develop drooped-shoulders, head-bent-down, and generally stooped stance. They have a tendency of taking shuffling, small steps, known as festination. They have difficulty in starting to walk, seem to be falling forward while walking, freeze in the middle of their stride, and find it difficult to turn