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Parkinson's disease...what you should know
Parkinson's disease is said to be the second most prevalent neurodegenerative
condition. Some estimates suggest that upwards of three quarters of a million
people are affected to a greater or lesser degree by this disease.
This disease affects men slightly more than it does women. Incidence before the
age of 40 is quite rare. The average age of patients at initial diagnosis is 62.
Apart from age, genetics is said to be a factor in predisposing a person to the
disease. If multiple family members have Parkinson's, chances of someone else in
the family developing the condition is much greater than is the case for the
general population.
Neurologists look for three symptoms of the disease - one-sided tremors, muscle
stiffness and slower-than-normal movements. Having two out of these three
symptoms is generally considered to be a definitive indication of Parkinson's
disease.
To distinguish Parkinson's from other neurological conditions, the specialist
may use procedures like magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission
tomography.
Deciding on a treatment for Parkinson's disease can be a complex affair. For
one, the disease gets progressively worse over time and drugs that seemed to
work well at one stage may not be of much use at another stage.
Another issue is that most drugs used have side effects that can persist over
long periods of time, so that's something to be considered.
Zeroing on the right combination for treatment is in itself quite complex too.
Apart from all that, the patient is probably being treated for other age related
diseases; those medications can often interfere with treatment for Parkinson's.
And if surgery is being considered as an alternative (particularly at the final
stages), the risks involved are fairly high. Deciding on the timing and kind of
surgical intervention is again a complicated task.
To learn more about various aspects of Parkinson's, follow these links below.
Parkinson's causes
Parkinson's
symptoms
Parkinson's
disease treatment
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