Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease

Introduction

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease, which is caused by a loss of dopamine producing cells in the brain . The disease is progressive and debilitating and is outwardly manifested in tremors, stiffness and rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability. The disease affects everyone differently, that is, these symptoms are covered to a different extent for each sufferer and as such treatment of the disease is highly individualised. There is no current cure for Parkinson's disease and most of the management of the disease involves the treatment of symptoms and the reduction of the side effects of current drug treatments.

Discussion

Currently quality of life in Parkinson's patients involves finely balancing medication with side effects to maintain functionality. This is so, where patients have a cyclical experience, undergoing periods of reduced movement, stiffness (akinesia) before drug treatment and dyskinesias & other side effects after treatment, with limited time in between where they experience normal movement.

The average age at which Parkinson's disease is diagnosed is 60. However, about 10%-20% of those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are under age 50, and about half of those are diagnosed before age 40. When the diagnosis is made early, it is referred to as "young-onset" Parkinson's disease(Di Monte 2002).

Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease are usually mild and generally occur gradually. You may have fatigue or a general sense of uneasiness. You may feel a slight tremor or have difficulty standing. Some may notice that their speech has become softer or that their handwriting has changed. You may forget a word or thought and have feelings of depression or anxiety. Generally, friends and family may begin to notice the changes before you do. They often notice the stiffening or lack of movement, or the absence of facial expression seen in Parkinson's disease.

As the disease progresses, it begins to interrupt daily activities. It is important to note that not all people with Parkinson's disease experience the full range of symptoms; in fact, most people with Parkinson's have mild, non-intrusive symptoms.

There have been rapid and remarkable changes over the past decade in treating Parkinson's disease. The development of new medications and an understanding of how best to use them and the older drugs have significantly improved the quality of life of people with the disease.

There are two general approaches to the treatment of Parkinson's disease with medication. The first approach attempts to slow the loss of dopamine in the brain and the second approach attempts to improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease by other means. (Goldstein 2010)

Most patients with Parkinson's disease can be adequately treated with medications that alleviate their symptoms. For the approximately 15% of patients for whom medications are not sufficiently effective, new, highly effective and safe surgical treatments are available.

Treating Parkinson's is not just the doctor's job. There is much a patient can do to stay as well as possible for as long as possible. Exercise is essential for maintaining and improving mobility, flexibility, balance and range of motion. Parkinson's seems to advance more slowly in people ...