Understanding Parkinson’s disease

Since Parkinson’s disease is brought on due to the lack of Dopamine in the brain much of the treatment for the disease relies on ways of replacing, stimulating and substitution of this chemical. Although some very effective drugs have been developed in the treatment of Parkinson’s they do however have their disadvantages, therefore the treatment of the disease doesn’t just rely on medication but on several measures combined together as a package. Some of which include:.

• Exercise.
• Changes in diet.
• General activity.
• Attitude towards the disease.
• Medication.

As Parkinson’s is a chronic disease which progresses the overall aim of the treatment is to maintain the sufferer’s quality of life for as long as possible and not to cure the disease itself. The type of treatment available for you depends on certain factors such as: (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a disease which affects the control of muscles and affects the movement, speech and posture. It is a degenerative disease of the body’s central nervous system and one which is often characterised by hand tremor, slow physical movement and rigidity of the muscles.

The excessive muscle contraction that is foremost in Parkinson’s disease is caused by insufficient formation of Dopamine, which is a chemical which is naturally produced in our body. While the majority of Parkinson’s disease has no known cause it can sometimes be caused through head trauma, toxicity, genes and other medical disorders. (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

The biggest single risk factor associated with contracting Parkinson’s disease is old age; men also stand a higher chance of it than do women. Family history is also another factor particularly when a first generation family member has the disease, if this family member is a parent or sibling then chances are estimated to double for yourself to developing the disease. It is thought that this increased risk is due to a number of factors including genetic and environmental which close relations have in common.

The one single factor which has been most consistently associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease is smoking, the exact reasons for this has never been determined but smoking does seem to offer some protection against developing Parkinson’s disease. However the negative effects that smoking has on our health far outweighs the benefit of not developing Parkinson’s from smoking, it should by no means be considered as a way of preventing the disease. (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

There are certain mental problems which have been associated with Parkinson’s disease as symptoms of the disease. These include hallucinations, paranoia and delusions, some of which are thought to be brought on by the side effects of medication while some may be complications of the disease itself.

Hallucinations, paranoia and delusion are all perception disturbances; the most common form of hallucination is the patient’s ability to see things which others don’t. Delusions are personal beliefs that go against fact or reason and are false beliefs.

Paranoia usually brings feelings of being followed or beliefs that you are going to be harmed in some unforeseen way. The good news is that these disturbances of the mind can be controlled in almost all patients suffering from them as part of Parkinson’s disease. (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

There are many things a person can do to help both themselves and their doctor when suffering from Parkinson’s disease, joining a support group, taking a regular form of exercise plan and maintaining a healthy diet are just some of the possibilities.

Support groups

Support groups can play a crucial role in the emotional aspect of a sufferer’s life and how they cope with living with the disease. Support groups provide a way of asking questions, sharing stories and experiences of the disease and for developing friendships with people in the same predicament as you.

In addition to live support groups several forums can be found online which provide help, support and advice for those suffering from Parkinson’s and the family of those suffering. (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

Some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease will affect your muscles and joints, they will cause the sufferer to move more slowly and feel weakness, tightness and pain in the joints and muscles. There is however a lot that can be done to alleviate these symptoms and get you a little more mobile in the process, physical and occupational therapy are just two of these ways.

While physical therapy isn’t a cure for the disease it can help the patient to compensate for changes which the disease brings about, physical therapy entails the sufferer learning new techniques to help and improve movement by learning strategies and using equipment. Your physical therapist will be able to show you exercise routines which can be done in the home and which will help to both strengthen and loosen muscles. (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

Having difficulty in both speaking and swallowing are just two of the debilitating symptoms which are brought on by Parkinson’s disease, however they are two symptoms which if the patients attends speech therapy can be helped greatly.

Over the last few years advancements in this area of the disease have come forth and a new programme has been developed with the aim of helping those with Dysarthria, which is difficulty in speaking and Dysphagia which is difficulty in swallowing.

The new programme, The Lee Silverman voice therapy programme can now provide significant help for those with these two symptoms of Parkinson’s, besides attending therapy there are also several ways in which you can help yourself. (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

Millions of people throughout the world suffer every year from chronic allergies; these can be allergies from their pets, to dust and spores. A recent study has shown that these people who suffer from chronic allergies are up to three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease at some time in their life.

Sufferers of allergic rhinitis which is an allergy in which the sufferer seems to have a permanent cold appear to be at much greater risk of developing Parkinson’s. The research conducted gathered information which showed a link to conditions which cause inflammation and breakdown of brain cells and found a decidedly big increase in cell death in people suffering from rhinitis. (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

Despite Parkinson’s disease being more common among those over 65 sadly younger people are affected by this debilitating disease also. Younger people when faced with Parkinson’s disease must also face and deal with problems that the older generation don’t have too, besides having to cope with their illness they will be confronted with issues such as caring for young children and adolescents.

As anyone knows caring for children is a full time job which can be a drain both emotionally and financially, managing all aspects of a family including attending sports activities, planning birthday parties, attending school meetings and generally taking care of children can be exhausting for any one. So how does the person suffering from Parkinson’s disease cope with this as well as their illness? (more…)

Understanding Parkinson’s disease

When we think about the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease people often associate it with the more common symptoms such as stiffness in the joints, slowness of movement and poor mobility. There are however other symptoms which can be just as debilitating but which don’t show outwardly, pain is one of them.

Most sufferers of this disease will admit to having painful symptoms and have some form of painful discomfort on a daily basis, in fact this symptom can become so severe that other symptoms of the disease are overshadowed, yet it is a symptom which is very often overlooked by people in general. (more…)