Sadly, Parkinson’s disease is a silent killer, mostly affecting the body’s nervous system. To make it even worse, it’s a progressive disorder with symptoms appearing slowly and worsening over time. Generally, the disease starts as tiny tremors in the hands or other movable body parts, before it gradually shifts into muscle stiffness or slowed movements.
Unfortunately, the disease has no cure but affected people can rely on medication to improve or slow down their symptoms. In addition to the medication, healthcare professionals may advise surgeries to affected people to re-adjust brain regions impacted by the disease.
Diagnosing Parkinson’s disease can be a challenge as people can be affected in various ways. In fact, early symptoms may be ignored as the tremors can be mild, infrequent, or unnoticeable. Additionally, the disease can affect different body parts and, depending on the person, can slow or quicken its progress.
Risk of Tremors and Bradykinesia
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Regarding the tremors, this symptom is first noticed in the shaking of hands or fingers. Although these tremors mostly affect the hands, performing tasks helps to decrease the rhythmic shaking.
Moreover, the type of tremor most associated with the disease is called pill-rolling tremors, which mostly happens in inactive hands. Specifically, these tremors are shown in the back-and-forth rhythmic motion of the thumb and forefinger which looks like a pill being rolled between the fingers, hence the name.
Eventually, those affected may develop bradykinesia, which slows movement and worsens the more you move. As a result of bradykinesia, affected individuals may struggle with completing tasks or simple actions such as walking.
Consequently, the disease can bring aching muscle stiffness, impaired posture, and may even develop a problem keeping balance. What’s worse, however, is that even unconscious movements such as smiling and blinking can be difficult because of the deliberating condition.
Risk of Communication Issues and Brain Impairment
Because the disease affects muscle and body movement, how affected individuals communicate also suffers as time goes on. Comparatively, not only can speaking become a challenge, but affected individuals may struggle with writing due to the tremors and muscle aches.
Although the disease affects the body, it can cause impairment in the brain as it attacks neurons until they break down. Moreover, many of its symptoms are caused by the gradual breakdown of neurons, which often produces dopamine in the brain. As dopamine levels decrease, the disease causes irregular brain activity, which affects muscle movement.
Cause of Parkinson’s Disease in the Brain?
So, what exactly causes the disease? As of now, no one knows. However, researchers have theorized several factors that may be behind the condition. For instance, specified genetic changes may lead to the disease, especially in people with family members who struggle with the disease. Also, the environment itself may trigger the disease. Some studies have shown that exposure to such things as pesticides or chemicals may cause this to happen.
Since Parkinson’s disease impacts the brain, researchers believe that its cause could be found there as well. Particularly, abnormal amounts of protein or Lewy bodies clumping together within brain cells are microscopic markers of the condition. Furthermore, these Lewy bodies can be found in other mental diseases such as dementia.
Moreover, researchers discovered a protein that couldn’t be broken down within these Lewy bodies. Subsequently, researchers found a-synuclein in the spinal fluid of affected individuals or people who may develop the disease later in life.
The Good News and the Bad News
Okay, the good news is that Parkinson’s disease doesn’t generally affect younger people. Its risk increases as one ages with development usually around 60 years and older.
Just because the disease affects older people doesn’t mean the youth are safe. So, if a young person becomes affected by Parkinson’s disease, then they should try genetic counseling to help aid them.
As previously mentioned, heredity can lead to Parkinson’s disease being passed down to family members. Having this gene increases the risk of development. Equally important, the risk of getting the disease can increase or decrease depending on how many relatives have the condition. Alongside age and heredity, men are also more affected by Parkinson’s disease than women.
Due to its unknown cause, prevention against the disease continues to be challenging. Although regularly exercising may reduce risk, it’s still a working theory among researchers. So, the only thing anyone can do is to be aware of the risk factors to get proper help as early as possible.
This article is intended simply to provide information. It is not intended to replace advice from a physician.
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