Coping with Parkinson s disease is not an easy task. Whether you or your loved one is suffering from it, the effect of the disease takes a toll. Other than the fact that it is a degenerative disease and the neurological condition deteriorates over time, the mental trauma that Parkinson s brings; not only to the patient but to the caregiver as well, is a whole chapter on its own. When you are taking care of someone who is suffering from 

Parkinson s disease, it is natural that the emotional upheaval that you may go through will take a huge toll on your health and your mind. It is imperative that you prepare yourself thoroughly, whether you are the patient or the caregiver, about the disease and its treatments.

There is hardly any cure and treatment for the disease. It is still in its research stage and hence, often there is a strong sense of despair that sets in the mind of the patient and their loved ones. It is for this reason you have to prepare yourself to face and fight this disease. 

Here are some tips that may help you to cope with the treatments of Parkinson s disease:

Educate Yourself: Educate yourself about every detail of the disease, specific to the type of Parkinson s that has affected you or your loved one. Ask questions, whether to your doctor or the nurses. Search through the internet, you will get plenty of genuine information. This is necessary as it will prepare you to face the future head-on. You will understand what you are dealing with and how much worse it can get.
Stay Active: If you are the one who is suffering from Parkinson s, then write it down as the golden rule   I will have to stay physically active. Staying active will keep your muscles active and there will be a steady functioning of the nervous system. Staying active gives you the benefit of keeping the muscles at work, ultimately fighting the main symptom of Parkinson s disease. Being physically active is also essential to have a good mental health, both for the patient and the caregiver.
Connect With People: Talk to people, your friends, family members, children, grandchildren and anyone you feel like. If you have any estranged relative, it could be a good time to reconnect. Have wholesome conversations that will influence happy thoughts and encourage you to think and ponder on happy memories. This is crucial as Parkinson s invites depression and you will have to tackle it vehemently.
Talk to a Mental Health Professional: If you feel that you are losing a complete hold of your life and your depression seems uncontrollable, it is time to visit a professional psychiatrist and seek his/her advice in dealing with your troubled mental condition.

Impact Of Parkinson's Treatment - How Can It Be Managed?

What is Parkinson s disease?
Parkinson s disease is a progressive and degenerative disorder of the Central Nervous System that mostly affects older people. It is a chronic disease and the symptoms develop over a period of time. The characteristic symptoms of Parkinson s are rigidity, shaking, bradykinesia (slowness in movement) and shuffled gait. Anxiety and depression also seem to be common in advanced stages of Parkinson s disease. In addition to the motor symptoms, the cognitive function of the brain is also compromised.

Degeneration of the nerve cells in the substantia nigra of the brain results in the reduction in production of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter in the brain. Neurotransmitters relay impulses from one nerve to the other. This is what is mainly responsible for the motor symptoms in Parkinson s. Although, Parkinson s is not a curable disease, it can be controlled and the progress of the disease can be kept in check with certain medications.

What causes Parkinson s disease?
The cause of Parkinson s is mostly idiopathic, i.e. the cause is unknown and is not specific. However, there have been cases which show that it can be attributed to factors such as genetic and environmental factors.
What are the symptoms of Parkinson s?

The symptoms of Parkinson s can be classified as Motor symptoms and Non-motor symptoms:

Motor Symptoms 

Bradykinesia: Slow movement
Tremor of limbs
Rigidity or stiffness of trunk and limbs
Impaired balance and difficulty in coordination or postural instability
Non-motor Symptoms 

Depression
Anxiety and fear
Loss of energy and fatigue
Constipation
Excessive salivation
Weight gain or weight loss
Cognitive problems such as difficulty in remembering, confusion, dementia
Parkinson s disease is not curable, but when detected early, medicines are prescribed to give symptomatic relief. Dopamine substitutes are prescribed to the patient to relieve the motor symptoms.

Parkinson's Disease - Understanding The Motor & Non-motor Symptoms!

Parkinson s disease is a disorder involving the nervous system. It can start with a mere tremor of one hand and advances to slow movement and stiffness. The face might show little no symptoms in the beginning but the speech might become slurred. With every passing day, the condition worsens. This condition has no permanent cure but the symptoms can be improved with proper medication.

What are the symptoms?
Some unmistakable symptoms include the following:

A sudden shaking of the limb. A sudden tremor of the hand is a very common symptom of this disease.
A stiffness of the muscles that can limit the range of motion and sharp pain.
The posture of the body might get compromised. Often balancing problems are witnessed among many patients.
There could be problems with speech leading to soft, slurry or quick speech. The speech in some cases can become monotonous devoid of inflexions.
Parkinson s disease can lead to slow movement and makes performing of simple tasks difficult.
Patients often find writing very difficult
What are the possible causes of Parkinson s disease?

Specific genetic mutation can lead to Parkinson s disease in folks who have a family history of Parkinson s disease. Certain variations of the gene increase the risk of this disease
Exposure to certain environmental factors or certain toxins can trigger Parkinson s disease in an individual.
Certain cells in the brain known as Lewy bodies can trigger Parkinson s disease.
A certain kind of protein cells within the brain known as alpha-synuclein can trigger the Parkinson s disease in an individual
What are the risk factors?

Heredity: Having an immediate family member or a close relative suffering from Parkinson s disease can increase the risk of getting this disease in an individual
Age: Although not a prime risk factor, but an individual over the age of over 60 have an increased risk of getting this disease
Toxins: Exposure to pesticide or certain herbicide increase the risk of Parkinson s
Sex: Men are more likely to get Parkinson s disease than women
What is the medication for Parkinson s disease?

Carbidopa-levodopa: This is a natural chemical that gets passed to the brain and is converted to dopamine by the body. The benefits of this medication might reduce with increased symptoms.
Carbidopa-levodopa infusion: A popular drug in this category is known as the Duopa. It is administered directly into the small intestine in the form of gel through a feeding tube.
MAO-B inhibitors: Drugs from this group include rasagiline and selegiline. This is a powerful medicine. Many patient experiences hallucination during the initial days of consuming these drugs.
Anticholinergics: This medication is mainly used to counter tremors of the limbs in the early stage of the Parkinson s disease.

Parkinson's Disease - What Are The Risk Factors?

One of the common ailments in the elderly people is the Parkinson s. A progressive disorder, when left untreated, results in worsening of the symptoms. Hence, it is essential to understand the treatment options available to manage the condition effectively. You may be suggested surgical therapies if medication is not effective enough to treat the symptoms.

Surgical treatment options can be beneficial for patients who are suffering from symptoms, but they do not help with treating the disease. In the past, surgical methods like Thalamotomy and Pallidotomy were used to destroy brain cells that contributed to the symptoms. While these methods are still used, they are very rare and situational.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), an FDA-approved procedure, has become much more popular as it is much safer and does not involve invasive surgery. Instead of destroying brain cells like traditional methods, DBS involves sending electric pulses to the affected brain cells to reduce the symptoms. It is not a treatment procedure, but a means of bringing down the severity of Parkinson s to allow better and more comfortable treatment.

Deep Brain Simulation   Who are the right candidates?
Deep Brain Simulation is commonly used for Parkinson  s disease, but it is not recommended for everyone. It is a preferred method of treatment for people who have had Parkinson s for at least four years but have complications which include long periods of time where medications do not work, or symptoms return, uncontrolled and involuntary movements or the freezing/stiffness in the body.

Deep Brain Simulation is not recommended for those who have Dementia as it can lead to memory problems. The general rule of thumb that neurosurgeons follow is that Deep Brain Simulation can help with symptoms that do not get better with medication. DBS can help reduce medication requirements for patients as well as reduce the side effects that may occur due to medication.

Disorder specialists and neurosurgeons can conduct tests to determine if DBS is going to be effective for a patient before going ahead with such a procedure. An extensive assessment is necessary to understand the symptoms, the effect of Parkinson's drugs and also brain imaging is done. All of the expected benefits are then evaluated for the patients, and if the procedure can help alleviate the symptoms, DBS is given a green signal by neurosurgeons and patients can undergo the procedure.

How Does Deep Brain Simulation Work?
Deep Brain Simulation is a very complex procedure. Brain cells communicate with the rest of the body through electric signal, and these become irregular and do not work properly when affected by Parkinson's. DBS smoothens the functioning of these brain cells and reduces symptoms through electric pulses through the implantation of a medical device known as neurostimulator which is also referred as brain pacemaker.

But, as with any treatment procedure, DBS has potential risks and side effects, hence discuss with neurosurgeon thoroughly to access the suitability.

Adopting Deep Brain Stimulation For Parkinson's disease

If you are young chances are you aren t worried about this particular neurodegenerative disease, and rightly so since the only people afflicted by it are above the age of 50. Although, there are a lot of cases where it develops in the younger age bracket, so you need to be careful and examine the signs of early onset Parkinson s and be wary if any of these symptoms apply to you.

Parkinson s is a neurological disorder wherein the dopamine-producing neurons are affected in a particular area of the brain. It can cause tremors and balance problems, eventually worsening over time. Here are some signs that you should keep an eye out for:

Tremors: If you are experiencing tremors, while at rest, in your hands, arms, fingers or your jaw then it is a sign that you need to be aware about. In an excitable or stressful situation, the tremors may even worsen.
Micrographia: Your hand movements become restricted and, as a result, your handwriting may become cramped and the words smaller in size. Examine your handwriting from the past with your present one, if you find a noticeable difference in the size and positioning of the letters and if you feel like the sentences are extremely crowded together, be wary.
Olfactory issues: One of the symptoms of early onset could be the loss of the sense of smell. If you feel like you can t sense stronger aromas like that of spices and pickle or even bananas as well as others and it isn t because your nose is blocked then you need to be on the lookout.
Sleeping troubles: There are times when you feel restless in bed while trying to sleep. If this becomes a routine then it could be a sign that you are prone to Parkinson s. Sudden movements and jerking while sleeping is a bad sign.
Stiffness: If your arms and joints feel stiff without reason, and you feel like free body movement is restricted or limited if you feel like you can t swing your arms or move your fingers freely, it is a definite sign that you might have Parkinson s. Stiffness can even lead to muscle pain in various parts of the body. Bradykinesia or slowness of movement is common with the stiffness of the body.
Constipation: If every time you have to defecate you have to strain yourself and put a lot of pressure on your bowels, and bowel movement does not come naturally or easily, even with the inclusion of roughage in your diet, it is a symptom.

6 Signs Of Early On-Set Parkinson's That You Need To Look Out For

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that affects your brain cells which produce dopamine and thus hampering all kinds of motor functioning and other emotional responses. After the disease is diagnosed, medication and therapy can help to provide relief from the symptoms to a large extent but a permanent cure is not possible.

Causes:

The disorder does not have a definite set of causes. A small percentage of the cases have been related to hereditary factors and others have a range of environmental causes associated with them.

1. Genetic factors:

Specific gene mutations and gene variations have been proved to cause Parkinson's, such as SNCA, PARK2, PARK7, PINK1 and LRRK2. These make or recycle proteins which are linked to the disease.

Research shows that men are at a 1.75 times greater risk of developing the condition than women are. Also, age plays a role with most cases occurring after the age of 60.

2. Environmental factors:

Regular exposure to inorganic insecticides, pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals or other toxins may cause the disorder. In rare cases, Parkinson's disease occurs in the aftermath of a severe head injury or immune disorders.

Symptoms:

The symptoms can be classified into two broad categories-

1. Motor symptoms:

The hand tremors when in resting position
The grip loosens
Walking slows down
Facial muscles freeze partially
Speech is slurred
Balance is disturbed
Swallowing is painful
Urination is abnormally frequent
Dementia-like symptoms are seen
There is involuntary twitching of the fingers and toes
Repetition of the same movement in quick succession is nearly impossible
2. Non-motor symptoms:

Dental problems
Vision impairment
Skin disorders
Panic attacks
Excessive secretion of saliva
Extreme weight loss or gain
Sexual problems
Loss of sense of smell
Lowering of the pitch of the voice
Fatigue

Causes and Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

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