All important questions about Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that impairs the patient’s mobility. Symptoms begin gradually, sometimes with a slight tremor in one hand. Tremor is the most common symptom, but it also causes mobility impairment. Facial expression changes early in Parkinson’s disease. It expresses poorly or hardly at all. Hands do not swing when walking, speech becomes low and muffled. Over time, along with the development of the disease, the symptoms worsen.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can vary from patient to patient. Early symptoms are mild and sometimes go unnoticed. They start on one side of the body and when the other side of the body is added, the symptoms on that side become more pronounced as the symptoms develop.
The reasons
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are caused by damage or death of certain nerve cells in the brain that produce a chemical called dopamine. When the amount of dopamine decreases, normal brain function is disrupted, causing Parkinson’s symptoms.
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, but there are some factors that play a role.
- Heredity. Research has identified a specific gene mutation that contributes to Parkinson’s disease.
- Environment: Environmental media contaminated with some toxins may be a contributing factor, but the risks are very small.
Risk factors
- The age. Rarely occurs in young people. It mostly occurs in people aged 60 and over. The risk increases with age. Heredity. If a close relative has or had this disease, the probability is slightly higher, but the risk is not high if some of the immediate relatives do not suffer from this disease.
- Gender: Men are more prone to have this disease.
- Getting poisoned. Regular exposure to herbicides or pesticides increases the risk.
Prevention
Since the cause is not clear, therefore there are no clear methods to prevent this disease.
Some studies have found that regular exercise helps prevent the onset and development of this disease, but it is very common. The preventive properties of excessive consumption of caffeinated liquids and green tea are sometimes discussed, but this has not been proven by scientists.
The treatment
There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but medications, sometimes very successfully, can manage the symptoms of the disease. Physical therapy and exercises to maintain balance are helpful. A speech therapist can help with speech disorders. People with Parkinson’s disease have low levels of dopamine, but it cannot be given directly to the patient because it cannot enter the brain. Medicines are aimed at managing the symptoms of the disease related to walking, moving, and tremors. These drugs increase or replace dopamine. Brain stimulation is considered a special intervention. /deep brain stimulation /(DBS).
The surgeon places electrodes in specific areas of the brain that are connected to a generator placed in the brain. It sends special electrical impulses to the brain to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Michael J. Fox has shared some sad news about his Parkinson’s diagnosis
According to reports, the actor noticed a twitch in his left pinkie.
He was then diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease. Fox was just twenty-nine years old at the time. Soon after his doctors told him he had ten more years to work, tops.
Fox retired from acting in 2020 but that didn’t stop him from being recognized as a star. So much so that he was lauded for playing the role of Marty McFly in the Back to the Future franchise.
And has been awarded an Oscar for his humanitarian work! The news was announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Academy President David Rubin. They said Fox, along with a select few, will be given the award for their “indelible contributions to cinema and the world at large.”
Michael’s kids shared some heart-breaking news recently
Michael’s mother, Phyllis Piper, passed away. She was 92
During a panel that celebrated the iconic movie Back to the Future, Michael joked that his mother believed he shouldn’t have filmed that movie because at the time he did Family Ties during the day and she thought he would be too tired to be filming another movie during the night.
“To this day – well, till two weeks ago – my mother thought it was a really bad idea for me to do Back to the Future. She loved the movie, [but she was right], I got tired,” Michael said.
