Dr. V.S. Madan

Parkinson’s disease usually develops at a very slow rate and the early signs of this disease often go unnoticed. As the condition progresses, the symptoms become more prominent. Parkinson’s disease affects the nervous system and cannot be completely cured. However, with proper treatment, its rate of progression can be slowed and this condition can be managed. The earlier a diagnosis is made, the more effective treatment will be. Thus, it is important to be able to recognize the signs the symptoms of this disease.

The signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease vary from person to person. In most cases, symptoms begin on one side of the body and are worse on that side even after it begins to be noticed on the other side. These symptoms can include:

Tremors
Involuntary shaking of a part of the body is usually the first sign of Parkinson’s the hands are most affected by this symptom. These tremors can be felt while performing an activity or even when the hand is at rest. In some cases, it can even keep a person from performing normal tasks such as writing. Tremors caused by Parkinson’s can also take the form of an uncontrollable back and forth rubbing movement between the thumb and forefinger.

Slow Movements
This is also known as bradykinesia. As the disease progresses, it can slow down movement and reduce the person’s ability to move. Simple tasks such as walking can become more difficult and take much longer. The person’s steps may become shorter and they may also drag their feet as they walk. Parkinson’s patients may also find it difficult to get in and out of chairs.

Rigidity
Parkinson’s can make muscles stiff and difficult to move. This can affect the muscles of any part of the body. This rigidity can limit the person’s range of movement and make moving the affected muscles very painful.

Loss of certain movements
In addition to muscle rigidity, the person may not be able to make certain movements that we take for granted. For example, he or she may not be able to blink or smile. Swinging the arms while walking may also become more difficult.

Changes to speech
Parkinson’s can make a person speak slower and reduce his or her natural volume. The person’s speech may also sound slurred. In addition, they may find it difficult to speak with inflections due to which their speech may appear to be monotonic.

Imbalance
Parkinson’s may affect a person’s posture and balance. In many cases, Parkinson’s patients develop a stoop. The loss of balance can make climbing stairs difficult and cause them to fall easily. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

One of the worst neurological disorders to have is dementia. It is a general term used to describe cognitive decline of the brain. It’s not specific disease but denotes several brain disorders and mental illnesses. A person suffering from dementia can have severe impairment in judgment, loss of memory and thinking. Dementia is a very difficult disease not only for the patient but also for their families and caregivers.

Some facts about dementia are as follows:

• It’s not a mental disorder occurring in old age but it does degenerates with age.
• An estimation of 47.5 million people worldwide suffers from dementia and 60% of these people live in low and middle-income countries and according to WHO this figure is likely to increase.
• Every 4 seconds a new case of dementia is reported

Dementia is a collective term to describe the many types of in people, such as 

• Alzheimer’s Disease: It is one of the most common type of dementia accounting for 60-80% of dementia case. People suffering from Alzheimer’s have fewer nerve cells and the size of the brain shrinks.
• Vascular Dementia: Another most common form of dementia occurring after a stroke.
• Lewy Body Dementia: It is neurodegenerative condition that involves a protein called alpha-synuclein which changes the brain. Symptoms may be similar to Parkinson’s disease.

Symptoms of dementia can range from mild to moderate to severe that includes:

• Memory Loss
• Disorientation meaning inability to focus or pay attention
• Changes in visual perception
• Impairment in reasoning and judgment

Dementia can be caused by damage to brain cells or progressive brain cell death. As a result communication between brain cells become difficult. Other symptoms include:

• Stroke
• Brain Tumor
• Head Injury
• Prion Disease
• HIV Infection

Reversible Factors

• There are no definite tests for dementia. Doctors and neurologists have to medical history, blood tests and CT scans to find out whether a person has dementia or not. However, the most potent evaluation comes from a set of questions that are asked to a patient suspected of having dementia. The ability to answer those questions correctly is one of the best diagnoses for dementia.
• There is no specific treatment for dementia as it is not a curable disease and degenerates with time. However, medicines or drugs given for Alzheimer’s can be given to people suffering from dementia.
• Although results vary depending upon a person’s lifestyle’s and habits, doctors suggest eating healthy, exercising regularly, and stopping smoking and drinking may prevent some types of dementia.
• The best treatment for dementia is to treat the person with care and love so that they don’t feel neglected.

Dementia is often associated with old age but that is not always true. It is important to gain knowledge and educate others also.

A craniofacial surgery is required when there are deformities or abnormalities present in the head or face area of the patient. Depending on the type of deformity, a craniofacial surgery is done to repair or reconstruct it.

The areas that come under a craniofacial surgeon's domain are the cranium (skull), the brain, the face, skin on the face, facial bones, and the nerves. For this reason, in order to conduct craniofacial surgery, a neurosurgeon and a cosmetic surgeon may often work together.

The time taken for completing a craniofacial surgery may vary between four hours and twelve hours.

Why do you need a craniofacial surgery?

There may be multiple reasons why a patient would require craniofacial surgery. These are:

1. Tumors in the head or face region are one of the most common causes behind this type of surgery. The surgeries conducted to remove these tumors may sometimes lead to the formation of deformities in the region. A craniofacial surgery is conducted in order to correct them.
2. This kind of surgery can also be used to correct abnormalities formed as a result of injuries or wounds on the face, the jaw or the head.
3. Some patients may also undergo a craniofacial surgery in order to correct defects that they were born with. Such defects include Apert Syndrome (a syndrome characterized by the premature fusion of certain bones in the skull), cleft palate or cleft lip and craniosynotosis (premature fusion of certain bones in the skull).

Risks related to Craniofacial Surgery:

Certain risks are associated with this type of surgery. These are:

1. A craniofacial surgery is conducted after putting the patient under general anesthesia. As a result of this, the patient may suffer from breathing problems, blood clots, infections and blood loss. He or she may also react to the medicine in an unwanted way.
2. As a result of the surgery, the patient may also lose their bone grafts partly or wholly. He or she may go through cranial nerve dysfunction or damage in the brain. The formation of permanent scars is another possible risk of a craniofacial surgery. Some patients, especially children who are of growing age, may need a follow up surgery later on.
3. Certain patients can face more risks as compared to other patients. These include patients who are malnourished, or suffer from other illnesses like lupus. Those that have suffered nerve damage in the past are likelier to develop complications. Smoking is also another risk factor.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!