Neurological Conditions
1. What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the dopamine-producing “dopaminergic.” These neurons are found in a specified area called the Substantia Nigra’. Parkinson’s attacks your Substantia Nigra and fiddles with your dopamine-producing region. This attack tantamount to affecting your movement gradually. This movement disorder affects the nervous system. The reasons for this disease to develop are predominantly environmental exposure and genetic changes. These symptoms have an incubation period and start showing up within a few days. People suffering from Parkinson’s can experience the symptoms later because of the substantia nigra neurons getting lost or impaired. The foremost symptom is the development of slight tremors and stiffness felt in one side of the body. Out of the motor and non-motor symptoms, Parkinson’s patients are impacted by the non-motor symptoms more. These symptoms circumvent around depression and cognitive impairment. Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease each year. More than 10 million people worldwide are living with this disease. The incidence of Parkinson’s disease increases with age, but an estimated four percent of people with Parkinson’s Disease are diagnosed before age 50. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease, which makes it chronic and gets even worse over the period.
2. What are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are developed gradually and cannot be seen overnight. With slight tremor formation in the brain followed by stiffness in one side of the body. In some rare cases, patients can also experience dementia. The early signs of Parkinson’s involve coordination and balance impairments. The next set of symptoms experienced are loss of sense and smell, gait changes, sleeping problems. Movement-related symptoms on the other hand begin on one side and gradually affect both sides. These symptoms largely go around depression, fatigue, constipation, skin problems, and delusionary syndrome of hallucinating. Parkinson’s patients are diagnosed with non-motor symptoms over motor symptoms. These are the cognitive impairment symptoms. These early symptoms may go unnoticed and could be mild. The major symptoms are Tremor which begins to shiver your hands and fingers. Parkinson’s may cause your body movement to be slow and makes doing your simple daily tasks seem difficult. Your steps may become shorter while you walk making it hard to get up quickly. Rigid muscles. Your muscle slowly starts to stiffen up in any random part of your body. This causes your muscle movement to be painful and limits its range of motion. Finally, an Impairment of posture and balance, which makes your muscles rigid.
3. Which age group patients are affected with Parkinson’s disease?
Young Onset Parkinson’s disease occurs majorly in the people of age bracket younger than 50 years of age. Most people with idiopathic, or typical, Parkinson’s Disease develop symptoms at 50 years of age or older. The young-onset Parkinson’s affects about four percent of the one million people with Parkinson’s Disease in the United States. It has been estimated that about 1% of people are affected by Parkinson’s disease. Which are above the age of 60. A total out of 4% of people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s are below the age of 50. There are currently about 1 million patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s and every year 50,000 people are diagnosed. The early symptoms may go unnoticed because of them being mild. The chances of the symptoms being misdiagnosed increase in this case. This is why the exact number becomes very difficult to determine. The diagnosis could be complicated for Parkinson’s as many other diseases produce similar symptoms. A study has found that 50% more men are affected with Parkinson’s than women. This is due to the protective effects of estrogen in women. Another reason is the increased exposure to occupational toxins in men. Also, due to genetic susceptibility of genes in the sex chromosomes.
4. Whether sleep will be affected by Parkinson’s disease?
A proper rest or a good night’s sleep is very helpful for our health and well-being. Similarly for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease sleep or rest becomes very crucial. Since the body needs an ample amount of time to restore and repair. The brain changes incurred in a Parkinson’s patient can cause a lack of sleep. Insomnia becomes a part and parcel of one of the symptoms faced by the patients. Due to Parkinson’s, part of the patient’s brain could cause them to sleep difficulties or sleep deprivation. The medication given to a patient could cause them to sleep disturbance. But some could also make the patients sleepy throughout the day. Almost 75% of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s report suffering from some sort of sleep deprivation or insomnia. The problems aggravate since the patient’s recovery system is hampered. Since enough sleep for repairs is hindered. People suffering from Parkinson’s sleeplessness cause a great negative effect on their quality of life. This affects their mood as well as health. There are multiple issues a patient diagnosed with Parkinson’s has. This involves talking and yelling out while they’re asleep or vivid dreaming. Followed by restlessness in the body which induces difficulty in bodily movements.
5. What are the treatment options available for Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that progressively affects your body’s movement. Parkinson’s strikes your Substantia Nigra and fiddles with your dopamine-producing area and reduces its amount and effects, affecting your movement gradually. As there’s no found cure for Parkinson’s disease, the treatment for it could be a bit complicated. The treatment for patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s is very subjective. It is based on their different symptoms which occur. Though there are some common treatments that most patients could be given, like surgical therapy. While others are given medications. Most treatment includes daily exercise, lifestyle modification, and taking enough rest. Physical occupation and speech therapy are used as important treatment plans. Even though there are various types of treatments and medication available. But none of them have any reverse effects of Parkinson’s disease. These treatments are only beneficial to control your symptoms. Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s have to go through various medications. Through different doses at different times of day to manage and regulate their various symptoms. Patients need to take their medications on schedule to avail the best results and benefits and avoid an unpleasant off period.
6.Is there any Surgical treatment available for Parkinson’s disease?
As of now, there’s no found cure for Parkinson’s disease. The treatment for it could be a bit complicated. Though there are some effective surgical options available for various symptoms of Parkinson’s. Surgery has shown potential improvement on Levodopa symptoms experienced by Parkinson’s patients. Usually, surgical treatments are only given to patients who show no signs of improvement. Either from their medication or therapy treatment. Also, for those who are frustrated and exhausted with their treatments for Parkinson’s tremors and profound motor fluctuations. Currently, there are only two surgical treatments available for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Deep Brain Stimulation or DBS, is a surgery performed by inserting a patient’s small intestine. This delivers a gel formula of Carbidopa/Levodopa. The second surgery performed is called a Focused Ultrasound, this is performed with the help of Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI. This leads to highly intensive sound waves emitted into the brain. These waves cross into each other and create high energy. Which is then converted into heat and destroys the very specific area in the brain, connected to tremor. Focused Ultrasound is performed by using computer software. It is considered non-invasive as there are no incisions involved or holes in the skull.
7. What are the physiotherapy exercises (options) available for Parkinson’s disease?
Exercise of all kinds helps everyone with body and mind issues, this is no different for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Physical therapy is often used in the treatment of Parkinson’s. For this, a professional physiotherapist is assigned who will guide patients for accurate exercises. They move to improve their mobility, strength, ability to balance. The various types of physiotherapy options starting with Amplitude Training. This training helps patients with loud movements or exaggerated training, which is called Amplitude of movement. The patients have to perform arm swings, high steps, and increasing shuffling movements. This helps to retain muscles and slow down the progression of Hypokinesia. Followed by Reciprocal Patterns. In this particular therapy, the patients are supposed to perform reciprocal movements. Patients are supposed to swing their arms while walking and taking steps. This exercise helps to keep rhythm in the patient’s body. Balance Work is the next set of exercise they are aimed to improve patient’s balance. By making them sense their feet on their ground. This helps the patient to not get fearful while walking amongst people. Finally, Stretching and Flexibility. For people diagnosed with Parkinson’s to develop tight hip flexor hamstring and calf muscles. This exercise helps counter that stiffness by just normally stretching the body mainly the patient’s limbs.