Parkinson's Disease A Description

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that affects a person progressively with time. Parkinson's disease affects more than one million Americans and though many people assume it is purely an age related disease, approximately 15% of them are diagnosed before the age of 40. However it is true to say that the incidence of Parkinson's disease does raise with age.

The cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown, and at the time of writing, there is no known cure. However Parkinson's disease (in the earlier stages anyway) can be quite successfully controlled with the right combination of therapy and drugs. For some people surgery has also been an option.

Parkinson's disease occurs when cells in the brain which are called Substantia Nigra cells break down and die. Unfortunately the Substantia Nigra cells produce a chemical called Dopamine which works as a neurotransmitter in the brain. These neurotransmitters send out information to the parts of the brain that control the movement and co-ordination of the person.

When the Substantia Nigra cells die, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain starts to decrease. Once this happens, the messages being delivered to the parts of the brain controlling movement and co-ordination gradually decrease. It then becomes increasingly more difficult for the person to co-ordinate their movements. Eventually if they did not receive treatment, they would lose the ability completely.

Symptoms of Parkinson's disease can vary, but there are some classic symptoms that tend to affect most sufferers, these include

* Tremors in the hands, arms, legs, face and jaw. When the person first develops Parkinson's disease these are very fine tremors which are hardly noticeable. Eventually as the disease progresses, they become more pronounced until eventually they begin to impinge on the person's quality of life.
* Rigidity and stiffness of the limbs and trunk is also another classic symptom of Parkinson's disease
* Bradykinesia is another well known symptom of Parkinson's disease. This is basically medical terminology for a "slowness of movement"
* Impaired balance with posture and co-ordination problems can also cause a person inconvenience and difficulty when they develop Parkinson's. A classic symptom of Parkinson's disease is the classic "shuffle" they develop when walking. This develops because the person is unable to take strides anymore when they walk, and they also lose the ability to swing their arms when walking.

Parkinson's disease is a complex illness which can impair a person's ability to live their life to the full. However with care and the right medication, a person who is suffering from Parkinson's disease can often spend many more years of fruitful living.




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