Join ANd ENjoy

Parkinson's Disease - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Parkinson's Disease - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.

Parkinson's disease occurs when nerve cells, or neurons, in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra die or become impaired. Normally, these neurons produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine. At least 500,000 people in the United States currently have PD. Parkinson's disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. Parkinson's disease is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms become worse over time. But although Parkinson's disease may eventually be disabling, the disease often progresses gradually. Parkinson disease affects movement (motor symptoms). Typical other symptoms include disorders of mood, behavior, thinking, and sensation (non-motor symptoms). Individual patients' symptoms may be quite dissimilar and progression of the disease is also distinctly individual. Parkinson's usually begins around age 60. It is more common in men than in women. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease often start on one side of the body first and then affect both sides.

There are many secondary symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease patients may notice that they are weaker or more tired. Symptoms include disorders of mood, behavior, thinking, and sensation. Poor balance is due to the impairment or loss of the reflexes that adjust posture in order to maintain balance. Falls are common in people with Parkinson's. Shaking (muscle tremor). This is one of the first symptoms in three-quarters of people, and affects most people with Parkinson's disease. Bradykinesia is the phenomenon of a person experiencing slow movements. In addition to slow movements, a person with bradykinesia will probably also have incomplete movement, difficulty initiating movements and sudden stopping of ongoing movement. The progressive loss of voluntary and involuntary muscle control produces a number of secondary symptoms associated with Parkinson's. Postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination, causes patients to develop a forward or backward lean and to fall easily.

Parkinson's disease requires broad-based management including patient and family education, support group services, general wellness maintenance, exercise, and nutrition.

Medications can help manage problems with walking, movement and tremor by increasing the brain's supply of dopamine. Amantadine may also be added to carbidopa-levodopa therapy for people in the latter stages of Parkinson's disease. Catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) inhibitors drugs prolong the effect of carbidopa-levodopa therapy by blocking an enzyme that breaks down dopamine. Tolcapone (Tasmar) is a potent COMT inhibitor that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. A medicine called levodopa is often given to people who have Parkinson's disease. Called "L-dopa," this medicine increases the amount of dopamine in the body and has been shown to improve a person's ability to walk and move around. Thalamotomy involves the destruction of small amounts of tissue in the thalamus - a major brain center for relaying messages and transmitting sensations.

Parkinson's Disease Treatment

  • Carbidopa and benserazide are dopa decarboxylase inhibitors.
  • Tolcapone inhibits the COMT enzyme, thereby prolonging the effects of L-dopa, and so has been used to complement L-dopa.
  • Selegiline and rasagiline reduce the symptoms by inhibiting monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B).
  • An antiviral drug, amantadine, can help reduce symptoms of PD and levodopa-induced dyskinesia.
  • COMT (catechol-O-methyl-transferase) inhibitors are a new class of drugs that stop the breakdown of dopamine.
  • Other therapies that are important for managing and coping with Parkinson's disease include physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.
  • Amantadine acts like a dopamine replacement drug but works on different sites in the brain.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

At the age of 54 I started experiencing lack of muscle control when performing strenuous exercise. It was very periodic, as I got older, the episodes became more frequent, and I started experiencing voice box spasms, excessive sweating, and trouble swallowing. I also started to have episodes when I wasn't so active. My family doctor wasn't able to diagnose my problem, but I was sent to a neurologist and they diagnosed it as Parkinson's. All medications given were not working i had to look for an alternative treatment. I read in a health forum of a herbal clinic in Johannesburg who has a successful treatment to P.D, i immediately contacted the herbal clinic via their website (www.Healthherbalclinic.weebly.com) and purchased the parkinson's herbal formula. I received the parkinson's herbal treatment via courier and immediately commenced usage, i only used the herbal remedy for 7 weeks all my symptoms were unbelievably reversed, i did another series of test i was confirmed free of parkinson's. Visit (www.healthherbalclinic.weebly.com) or email (healthherbalclinic@gmail.com)

Carlos Benita said...

I am a 51 year old female that just found out I have Motor Neuron Disease Parkinson's about a year and half, but I have been having signs of it for years, tremors, depression, body weakness. ECT. I honestly don't think my doctor was reading the signs because of my gender and age. A few years ago I had my shoulder lock up on me and I was sent to a P.T since x-rays didn't show any physical damage. My shaking was getting worse and I began falling. Only when my speech became so bad that it brought concern to my dentist was Parkinson's even considered. He phoned my doctor with his concerns about my shaking and balance problems. By this time I was forgoing shots in the back of my neck for back and neck pain to which once again I was sent to a P.T (although x-rays showed no damage) I was told I had a few spurs which were most likely causing the pain. Here I was feeling like my whole body was falling apart and doctor could not find anything wrong, maybe in was all in my head? My doctor even seemed annoyed with me and things just kept progressing and I just kept it to myself, why bother going through testing and them finding nothing? Well, it was after my second P.T called my doctor about the weakness in my legs and arms, by this time I have developed a gait in my walk and I fell more frequently. Only then did my doctor send me to a specialist and it was found that I had Parkinson's, and that I have had it for awhile. I think because I was a woman that my signs and symptoms weren't taken seriously and therefor left untreated for so long,I was taking pramipexole dihydrochloride three times daily, I Was on carbidopa levodopa but only lasted 90 minutes then wore off.I found that none of the current medications worked effective for me.I got tired of using those medication so I decided to apply natural herbs formula that was prescribed to me by my second P.T, i purchase the herbal formula from totalcureherbsfoundation. com, There has been huge progression ever since I start the treatment plan which will last for 15 weeks usage.all the symptoms and sign has begin to disappear .

Post a Comment

Followers

Online Visitors

Alpha Inventions

Alpha Inventions Ranking

Multiply Traffic With Exisiting Traffic

tracker

Top Health blogs