Did You Know This About Parkinson’s Disease?

Diseases such as Parkinson’s are constantly being researched so there are new facts being discovered all the time. Unless you are diligent about being up to date on the new information there may be things that surprise you about Parkinson’s disease. Read this article to find out if there are things that you may not know about Parkinson’s disease.

Most of us know that tremors are a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease but did you know that over time the tremors increase or that they occur while at rest or when the individual is under stress?

There are many early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease that are sometimes missed even by doctors and can include a lack of suppleness in the muscles or slowness in movement. Part of the reason why some of these symptoms are missed is that Parkinson’s develops very slowly over time. Symptoms may be so mild that the individual basically ignores them until they progress to the point over time in which the individual does take notice of them. A symptom can be present for years before it may affect the person in such as way as to make movement noticeably slowed, awkward or impossible to accomplish.

Did you know that certain nerve cells that are located in the basal nuclei ceases to function normally, which is why symptoms of movement are affected? These nerve cells produce dopamine, which is a chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter to the brain. When a lack of dopamine occurs there is utter chaos in the signals between the nerve cells and the muscle fibers that control movement. When confusion occurs the muscle causes the leg, arm or hand to tremor.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease and the symptoms will become worse over time. Treatment can therefore not cure or stop the disease but treatment can give relief to the individual easing some of the effects of the disease.

Did you know that support of family and friends are just as essential to the treatment plan’s success as the medications given? Anxiety and depression are common for someone facing a chronic disease and when the individual is surrounded by knowledgeable supportive individuals they can face the challenges of the disease better and have a more positive outlook.

Did you know that there are many theories about what causes Parkinson’s disease including genetics, aging, toxins and free radicals? No matter what the cause, and it may be more than one causing, the symptoms are key to the individual with Parkinson’s having the ability to function and to participate in life. When the symptoms are controlled and minimized the individual can have better movement and functionality.

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