Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a common neurological disorder among the elderly, and it leads to a clear inability to move and several health problems, especially if it’s not managed early.

Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease occurs due to the deterioration of a part of the brain, and it’s a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system, which leads to affecting the body parts controlled by these nerves.

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common age-related neurological disease after Alzheimer’s disease, and it affects men more than women.

Stages of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease might take years or decades to cause severe symptoms. Therefore, it’s divided into four stages, depending on its impact on the body:

• Non-motor effects on daily living, such as depression, dementia, anxiety, and other mental issues.
• Motor effects on daily living, such as eating, chewing, swallowing, wearing clothes, taking baths with tremors, and others.
• Motor examination, such as speaking, face expressions, rigidity, walking speed, balancing, and others.
• Motor complications and how much Parkinson’s disease can affect the patient’s life.

Causes and risk factors leading to Parkinson’s disease

There are nerve cells in the brain that produce a chemical substance called dopamine. Parkinson’s disease causes the death of these neurons, leading to a decrease in dopamine production, which causes irregular brain activity and the manifestation of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease like motor problems and others.

The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, yet there are some risk factors that increase the risk of it, and they include:

• Genetic factors.
• Age older than 60.
• Being exposed to some environmental triggers, like toxins, such as pesticides and herbicides
• Some medications might cause temporary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but they might become permanent.
• Encephalitis and traumas.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Motor-related symptoms

• Bradykinesia (slowed movements).
• Tremor while resting, and it usually starts in the hands and fingers.
• Muscles rigidity.
• Walking and balancing difficulties.
• Swallowing problems.
• Blinking less than usual.
• Drooling.
• Hypomimia, or mask-like facial expressions.
• Small handwriting.

Non-motor symptoms

• Orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when standing up).
• Sleeping problems.
• Difficulties thinking and focusing.
• Depression.
• Anosmia (loss of sense of smell).
• Bladder problems.
• Constipation.
• Sexual dysfunction.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease

• There isn’t a specific test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, rather, the diagnosis depends on a physical examination to observe the symptoms in addition to the medical history.
• Some tests can also be done, such as blood tests, imaging tests, and a genetic test.

Management of Parkinson’s disease

• There isn’t a cure for Parkinson’s disease, but the symptoms and the disease’s progression can be managed through specific medications.
• A procedure called deep brain stimulation can be used. In this procedure, some electrodes are implanted inside a specific part of the brain, and they’re connected to a generator that’s implanted in the chest near the collarbone. This generator sends electrical pulses to the brain in order to reduce the symptoms.
• The studies observed that drinking coffee, having estrogen replacements in post-menopausal women, and smoking are factors that reduce the risk of having Parkinson’s disease. However, this, of course, doesn’t mean that they encourage smoking.
• Following a healthy lifestyle and exercising regularly.