Important note on Parkinson’s disease you need to know.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition that worsens over time. Movement issues are one of the earliest symptoms. Dopamine is a chemical that exists in the brain and is responsible for smooth and coordinated motions of the body’s muscles. The “substantia nigra” is a region of the brain where dopamine is made.
The substantia nigra cells begin to deteriorate in Parkinson’s disease. Dopamine levels drop as a result of this. Parkinson’s disease symptoms begin to show up when they have decreased by 60 to 80%.
Parkinson’s disease stages
Parkinson’s is a progressive illness, which means that over time, the condition’s symptoms usually get worse.
The Hoehn and Yahr scale is frequently used by doctors to categorise its stages. This scale categorises symptoms into five phases and aids medical practitioners in determining the severity of disease symptoms and signs.
Stage 1
Stage 1 is the mildest type is Parkinson’s. In fact, it’s so mild that you could not even notice any symptoms. Your regular activities and chores might not yet be affected by them.
Even if you do experience symptoms, they might just affect one side of your body.
Stage 2
It may take months or even years for stage 1 to move into stage 2. The experiences of each person will vary. You might feel symptoms at this stage, which is moderate such as:
- muscular rigidity
- tremors
- facial expressions shift
- trembling
Stiffness in your muscles can make regular tasks more difficult and take longer to complete. However, you probably won’t have any balance issues at this point.
The body’s two sides may experience the same symptoms. Posture, movement, and facial expression modifications may be more obvious.
Stage 3
The symptoms change course at this midpoint. You probably won’t develop any new symptoms, but they might become more obvious. They might also obstruct all of your daily activities.
Activities move more slowly as a result of the noticeable slower movements. Falls can grow more frequent as balance problems become more serious. However, people with Parkinson’s disease in stage 3 can typically keep their independence and carry out daily tasks without much help.
Stage 4
There are substantial modifications as the stages 3 and 4 proceed. Without a walker or other aid, it will be quite difficult for you to stand at this point.
Significantly slower reactions and muscle motions are also observed. It might be risky and unsafe to live alone.
Stage 5
In this most advanced stage, constant help is required due to the intense symptoms. Standing will be challenging, if not impossible. Most likely, a wheelchair will be needed.
Parkinson’s patients may also have disorientation, delusions, and hallucinations at this stage. The disease’s consequences can start developing in its latter stages.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
Some of the early signs of Parkinson’s can show up years before there are any movement issues. These initial indications include:
- reduced capacity to smell (anosmia)
- constipation
- tiny, squished handwriting
- voice variations
- hunched position
The four most prevalent motor issues include:
- tremor (shaking that occurs at rest)
- sluggish motions
- rigidity in the arms, legs, and trunk
- difficulties with balance and a propensity to tumble
Additional signs include:
- blank look on the face
- a propensity to become trapped while walking
- low-pitched, muted speech
- reduced swallowing and blinking
- inclination to reverse direction
- shortened arm walking while swinging
- Parkinsonian gait, or the propensity to walk with shuffled steps
Additional signs and symptoms could be:
- Seborrheic dermatitis is the condition when the skin develops flaky white or yellow scales on greasy areas.
- greater likelihood of developing the deadly skin disease melanoma
- vivid dreams, chatting, and movement while sleeping are all signs of disturbed sleep.
- depression
- anxiety
- hallucinations
- psychosis
- issues with focus and memory
- visual-spatial interactions are challenging
Parkinson’s disease’s early warning signals could go unnoticed. With these warning signals, your body may try to warn you of the movement issue years before any movement difficulties appear.
Causes of Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition brought on by alterations in the brain. Although the exact reason why it occurs is unknown, scientists have found some varieties that do.
Low dopamine levels
Parkinson’s disease symptoms are mostly brought on by low or declining levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It occurs when brain cells that make dopamine die.
The area of the brain that regulates movement and coordination receives information from dopamine. Therefore, it may be more difficult for people to control their movement when dopamine levels are low.
The severity of the symptoms gradually worsens as dopamine levels continue to drop.
low levels of norepinephrine
Damage to the nerve terminals that create another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, which supports blood circulation and other natural bodily activities, may also be a component of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease patients with low norepinephrine levels may have both motor and nonmotor symptoms like:
- rigidity and stiffness
- physical unsteadiness
- tremor
- anxiety
- having trouble focusing
- dementia
- depression
This may help to explain why orthostatic hypotension frequently occurs in persons with Parkinson’s disease. When someone stands up, their blood pressure fluctuations, which can cause dizziness and a chance of falling, is referred to as this.
The Lewy body
The brain of a person with Parkinson’s disease may have Lewy bodies, or clusters of the protein alpha-synuclein. Changes in movement, thinking, behaviour, and mood can result from the buildup of Lewy bodies, which can also result in nerve cell death. Dementia may also result from it.
Lewy body dementia is not the same as Parkinson’s disease, although because the symptoms are similar, some people may have both.
Genetic factors
Although mutations in numerous genes have been found to be associated with Parkinson’s disease, experts do not believe this to be a hereditary ailment.
Only 10% of cases, particularly in those with early-onset disease, seem to be genetic in nature.
Autoimmune factors
According to a 2017 study, there may be a hereditary connection between inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s disease.
In 2018, Taiwanese health data were examined by researchers who discovered a 1.37-fold increased risk of Parkinson’s disease in patients with autoimmune rheumatic disorders.
Risk factors for parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease risk may be increased by a number of environmental variables.
These consist of:
- Past traumatic brain injury: For instance, head traumas sustained while playing contact sports may raise the likelihood of the illness.
- Exposure to toxins: These include metals, pesticides, solvents, and other contaminants.
- Males are 50% more likely than females to have the illness, while a 2016 study found that the risk for females may rise with age.
- Age: The illness frequently manifests around the age of 60.
- Some pharmaceuticals: Some drugs can cause Parkinsonism, a condition in which a person exhibits tremors and other symptoms but does not have Parkinson’s disease.
Symptoms typically start to show up around the age of 60. However, early-onset Parkinson’s, which manifests before the age of 50, affects 5–10% of those who have the condition.
Statistics in the past have indicated that Black Americans are less likely than people of other ethnicities to have Parkinson’s disease.
The lack of knowledge about how the disease can affect Black people and a higher likelihood of misdiagnosis as a result of unequal access to healthcare, according to experts, may be to blame for this.
REFERENCES:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/parkinsons
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323409
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8525-parkinsons-disease-an-overview
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease
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