Know About Parkinson’s disease

Manoj Kumar Published : Feb 04, 2024 Last Updated : Feb 06, 2024

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder. Stiffness, difficulty with walking and balance, shaking, and coordination problems. These are the common symptoms. There is no cure is found today. It can only be a treated if the patient can maintain a quality life with medications. Surgery also helps some patients in improving symptoms.

Let’s know about Parkinson’s disease

It is a brain disorder or nervous system disease. It usually starts slowly and gets worse over time. As this disease increases, you can see people the symptoms. Shaking hands, muscle stiffness, problems in walking, problems in maintaining balance. If the disease gets worsens. You can see mental and behavioral changes, depression, fatigue, sleep problems, and memory difficulty.

It has been seen that this disease is in person with the age of 60 or older. Only 5-10% of people get caught less than age 50. Besides gender, everyone can have Parkinson’s disease. It has shown that men are affected about 50% more than women.

People affected with Parkinson’s disease before age 50 may be genetic. Some people believe in this. The gene mutation that is associated with it has been discovered. Scientists identified the gene associated with Parkinson’s disease in People who have Lewy bodies in their brains. Which are groups of protein alpha-synuclein. Scientists are researching this and trying to understand the relationship between genetic mutation.

Scientists found out in research that some other genes play a role in Parkinson’s disease. Because of these genes cells start functioning abnormally. It damages the nerve system’s ability to release domain leading to Nerve cell death. Scientists are still not aware of these gees and trying to discover how this gene mutation leads to Parkinson's disease.

According to research, 10%-15% of people are affected with Parkinson’s disease because of gene mutation. Even the environment plays a role in this disease that is still not known.

What causes Parkinson’s disease?

The basal ganglion is an area of the brain where nerve cells are present. When nerve cells become impaired or die in the Basal ganglia. which handles controlling movement then Parkinson’s disease occurs. Normally, these cells produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine helps in communicating.

Because of dying nervous system or becoming impaired, they started to produce less dopamine. Dopamine is a key part of the operation of the area of the brain. What causes the nerve cells to die still is a question mark.

People lose nerve endings that produce norepinephrine because of Parkinson’s disease. Norepinephrine is a chemical that acts as a messenger in the nervous system. It controls the functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing of the body.

Loss of norepinephrine leads to some non-movement symptoms. like irregular blood pressure, and fatigue. it decreases the movement of food through the digestive tract. You can also feel a sudden drop in blood pressure after standing up from a sitting or lying-down position.

Although some cases were found to be genetic and in some special gene mutations. In most cases, it happens randomly besides your family background. Many scientists believe it happens because of the combination of genetic factors and environmental factors.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

It depends on people. And the rate of decline is very wide as well according to person to person. Some common symptoms are.

Tremor: Your hands and arms started shaking. And the same thing will happen with the jaw and foot. Your body or one limb is affected by only one side at the start of the disease. As disease increases with time, it spreads. It disappears time of sleeping or arm or leg moves from its initial position.

Stiffness of the limbs and trunk/ Rigid muscles: Your muscles are unable to relax normally because of rigidity. Rigidity happens because of the uncontrolled tensing of the muscle. Because of this, you can’t able to move your body freely. It may cause pain and limited range of motion limited

The slowness of movement: The brain started acting slowly and wasn’t able to give quick instructions about any instructions. it leads to slow movement of the body. It gets worse when you are moving freely at one moment and need help at another moment even a tiny movement

Unsteady balance and coordination problem: you may face difficulty in walking. Difficulty in swing arm naturally. you feel like you stick to the ground

How can Parkinson’s disease be diagnosed?

Since there is no specific testing to diagnose this disease. So, its symptoms may be confusing and mimic the other symptoms. So, it is hard to diagnose it. It is important to make an exact solution for it as soon as possible. Every disease needs different treatment without an exact solution it will be difficult. CT and MRI scan is used to scan it because they rule out other disorders. If you feel like you have Parkinson’s disease, see a movement neurologist.

Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

There is no exact cure for Parkinson’s treatment. So, medicine, surgical treatment, or any other therapy is used to treat it. And it often relieves some symptoms.

Medications:

You can get Medicines for Parkison's Disease at a very affordable cost for better treatment.

Helping in increment of dopamine level in the brain.
Helping in controlling the nonmotor symptoms.
Helping in blocking an enzyme, it breaks down dopamine.

Surgical treatment:

Deep Brain Stimulation: It is appropriate for a person who does not respond well to medications. In this procedure, electrodes are implanted in the brain and connected to a small electrical device. that is implanted in the chest. Electrodes block the activity that causes the symptoms.