Parkinson’s disease was first founded by an English doctor, James Parkinson, in 1817. Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system that results from the lack or loss of cells in various parts of the brain, the main region is called the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra cells produce dopamine, a chemical messenger responsible for sending signals within the brain that allow for coordination of movement. The lack of dopamine causes neurons to fire irregularly and out of control, leaving people to not be able to control their movement.
The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, although research shows signs towards a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Parkinson’s Disease is a continuing and constant moving disorder. Almost one million people alone in the United States have this disease. Many people who are affected by Parkinson’s Disease will have the tremors as their main symptom, as another affected by the disease could have trouble with their balance as their main problem. Parkinson’s Disease is different in every person who is affected by it.
The disease in some bodies can be progressive and quick and in others it can be very slow. There are many symptoms through Parkinson’s like Bradykinesia which is the scientific word for slow movement, rigiditiness, freezing, unwanted accelerations, and balance issues. Tremors in the arms and hands are symptoms that are most commonly seen in Parkinson’s sufferers. In some cases tremors are just on one side of the body. Sleep and complete relaxation usually reduce or stop the tremor. Although tremoring is one of the most common signs of Parkinson’s, not everyone with tremors has Parkinson’s.
Rigidity causes stiffness and inflexibility of the limbs, neck and body. Muscles normally stretch when they move, and then relax when they are at rest. In Parkinson’s rigidity, the muscle tone of an affected limb is always tense and does not relax, sometimes contributing to a decreased range of motion. People with Parkinson’s most frequently experience binding of the neck, shoulder and legs. A person with rigidity and bradykinesia within Parkinson’s tends to not swing his or her arms when walking. Bradykinesia is a defining feature of Parkinson’s disease.
When having Parkinson’s you show a lack of quick or spontaneous movement, abnormal stillness and a decrease in facial expressions. Due to bradykinesia, a person with Parkinson’s may have trouble performing ordinary activities, such as buttoning a shirt, cutting food or brushing their teeth. People who encounter bradykinesia may walk with short small steps. The cutback in movement and the limited range of moving caused by bradykinesia can affect a person’s speech, which may make the person become quieter as Parkinson’s progresses.
One of the most pronounced signs of Parkinson’s is balance or postural instability, an impulse to be unstable when standing. A person with Parkinson’s and postural instability has lost some of the reflexes vital for maintaining an upright posture, and may fall backwards if bumped even lightly. Some cultivate a bad tendency to sway backwards when standing out of a chair, walking or turning. This problem is called retropulsion. People with balance problems may have problems when pivoting, making turns or quick movements. Freezing is an additional sign of Parkinson’s Disease.
People who experience freezing often hesitate before moving. Freezing is temporary so once a person gets past the first step, they can keep walking without hesitation. The symptoms of freezing increases a person’s chance of falling and of injury. Unwanted accelerations are troublesome in speech and in movement. People with fast speech will produce a rapid stammering that is hard to understand. Those who are affected by unwanted accelerations, have a very high chance of falling. Some non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease are cognitive impairment, as in not being able to multi-task or concentrate.
Mood disorders, problems sleeping, low blood pressure, constipation and problems with speech and swallowing. Is it genetic? The majority of Parkinson’s cases are not directly inherited. About fifteen to twenty-five percent of people with Parkinson’s said that they have a relative with the disease. In large studies, researchers have found that people with an affected relative, such as a parent or sibling, have a four to nine percent higher risk of generating Parkinson’s, as compared to the regular population.
This means that if a person’s parent has Parkinson’s, the person’s chances of acquiring the disease are higher than the risk among the general population (Michael J. Fox Foundation) Many big name celebrities like Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Robin Williams, and Johnny Cash all suffer or suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Almost sixty thousand Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, and this number does not show the thousands of cases that go undetected. More than 10 million people around the world are living with Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s increases with age, but an estimated four percent of people with the disease are diagnosed before the age of 50. Men are one and a half times more likely to have Parkinson’s than women. At this time, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. But there are several of medicines that can control the symptoms and make the disease easier to live with. You may not even need treatment if your symptoms are mild. A doctor may wait to prescribe medicines to a patient whose symptoms start to get in the way of their life. A doctor will adjust the medicines as your symptoms worsen.
A person with the disease may need to take several medicines to get the best results. Levodopa is the best drug for controlling symptoms of Parkinson’s. Although it helps the symptoms it can cause problems if one uses it for a long time or at a high dose. Medicines will vary for each person that suffers from Parkinson’s. A doctor will usually make these choice. A treatment called deep brain stimulation may be used to help Parkinson’s Patients. A Doctor places wires in the brain, and then the wires carry tiny electrical currents to the parts of the brain that control movement. These signals can help parts of the brain work better.
