What Bothers me Most About the No CURE Parkinsons Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic brain disorder that affects the way the brain co-ordinates movements in the body. Those with Parkinson’s disease have a combination of dead or damaged brain cells, the cause of which is unknown, and reduced levels of Dopamine, which is the main neurotransmitter in the cells, both of which causes nerve messages to the muscles to slow down and malfunction.
Those aged over 50 are more likely to suffer from Parkinson’s, and the risks increase with age. The rare instances of the disease in the under 50s may be down to genetics.

Common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include slowed movements, muscle stiffness and tremors, which usually occur in the fingers, hands and arms but it, can affect other parts of the body. Parkinson’s sufferers also exhibit fewer facial expressions like smiling or frowning, difficulty with writing; swallowing, chewing, balance or posture and speech may become slurred, slow or monotonous. These symptoms may not all be present in Parkinson’s sufferers and one side of the body may be affected before the other. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder so symptoms will worsen over time and lead to other symptoms like Insomnia, depression, hallucinations, constipation or incontinence, difficulties during sexual intercourse or problems with the senses e.g. smell or taste. Those with Parkinson’s also have a higher chance of developing dementia, but usually in those over 70.

Diagnosis is carried out by a specialist and based on the presence of symptoms in a patient and a neurological exam, although in the early stages when symptoms are mild diagnosis is more difficult and further brain scans or blood tests may be undertaken to rule out other diseases. There is no definitive test for Parkinson’s disease, and sometimes symptoms may resemble those of other conditions.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease and no treatment for preventing the worsening of the condition, so treatment usually involves lessening and stabilizing the symptoms. Three types of drugs are usually prescribed: levodopa, (usually given along with Benserazide) is prescribed to the majority of sufferers and increases the dopamine levels to improve movement; Dopamine agonists or monoamine oxidase inhibitors, an alternative to Levodopa.

As the disease worsens, physiotherapy is used to help with posture and walking and speech therapy may be recommended to help with talking or swallowing. An occupational therapist may also be beneficial to help sufferers deal with day to day tasks. Various types of surgeries may be used to further ease symptoms if medication isn’t effective.