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Hypertension & more ::
parkinsons disease
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What Parkinson's disease really is
Although it is commonly thought of as an old age disease, close to 15% of sufferers are below age 40. However, it is true that Parkinson's affects older age groups more than younger ones. The bad news is that this illness has no real cure (at this time, anyway.) The good news is that if the treatment starts in the earlier stages, it can be fairly well controlled using drugs and therapy. Sometimes, surgery is recommended. How does this illness come about? And what is dopamine's role in Parkinson's disease? There is a group of cells in the brain called Substantia Nigra. In some people, these cells break down and perish. That's when the disease sets in. These cells are instrumental in the production of a substance called dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter. Signals relating to movement and coordination in the brain are sent using neurotransmitters. So when dopamine production declines, brain signals relating to movement and coordination gradually decrease. Result -- the person finds it increasingly difficult to coordinate their movements. Without treatment, they would fully lose this ability, eventually. What are some of the symptoms of this disease? There are varying signs, but here are the most common ones. * The person's jaw, face, arms and legs start showing tremors. At first, these tremors may be so fine that they're barely noticeable. As the disease progresses, the tremors become more pronounced and may affect their day to day life. * Slowness of movement is another sign. The medical term for this is 'bradykinesia'. * A sufferer may not be able to swing his arms while walking. They may not be able to take strides either, and their walking degenerates into a characteristic shuffle, which is a symptom of the disease. * Coordination difficulties and lack of balance is another sign of Parkinson's. * The sufferer may find that his trunk and limbs tend to become stiff and rigid. Parkinson's disease can seriously impair the patient's quality of life. If he gets good care and the right treatment, he can live fairly well for a long period of time.
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