What Is Parkinson's Disease? Part 2

Parkinson's disease is a condition which belongs to a group of diseases called Motor System Disorders. These disorders result from a loss of the chemical dopamine which is produced in the brain and controls movement etc in the body.

Parkinson's disease has four main symptoms,
* Tremor (which includes the hands, arms, legs jaw and face.
* Rigidity and stiffness of the limbs and trunk.
* Slowness of movement (known as Bradykinesia)
* Postural instability and impaired balance.

These conditions gradually become worse over a period of time, until eventually the sufferers are unable to complete very simple tasks such as fastening buttons, feeding themselves and even talking.
Parkinson's disease usually affects people over the age of 50-60 years, but many younger people can also develop the disease. The symptoms have a very gradual onset which is hardly noticeable to start off with. It depends on the severity of the disease on how quickly the symptoms progress. In some people the symptoms are quite mild for up to several years, whilst in others they can develop rapidly over a period of weeks and months.

As the symptoms become more marked, the sufferers find their activities of daily living are affected. The tremors mean they have difficulties in caring for themselves when washing and dressing and these symptoms can also make it very difficult and dangerous for them to cook a meal for themselves due to the tremors etc.

Difficulty in swallowing can be a major problem, which can of course then lead to weight loss and accompanying problems such as anorexia and specific health problems associated with nutritional defects.

Other disruptions which can affect a person with Parkinson's disease include
* chewing, and speaking
* depression and other emotional changes
* urinary problems
* constipation
* skin problems
* sleep disruptions

At the time of writing, there is no definitive test to prove a person has Parkinson's disease and it is usually diagnosed by a combination of medical history, and a neurological examination. It is better if the disease is diagnosed by a doctor who specializes in neurological diseases as it can be very easy to mistake it for other very similar neurological problems.
There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but there is a variety of medications which help the symptoms enormously.

The medication of choice is usually Levodopa which when combined with Carbidopa can often give quite dramatic relief. Levodopa medication replenishes the brains dwindling dopamine resources whilst the Carbidopa assists in ensuring the Levodopa is used in the brain to its maximum effect. Levodopa helps approximately ¾ of Parkinson's disease sufferers, and though it helps most symptoms, not all of them respond equally as well as others.
 



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