Parkinson’s disease occurs mostly in the aged. If You have wondered if there are habits that one does in their youth to cause Parkinson’s disease when one is old, then this guide is for you. We would be looking at the causes of Parkinson’s disease, and possible preventive measures against the disease. Kindly read through it keenly.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a condition where a part of your brain deteriorates, causing more severe symptoms over time. While this condition is best known for how it affects muscle control, balance and movement, it can also cause a wide range of other effects on your senses, thinking ability, mental health, and more.
Parkinson’s disease mainly affects people aged over 65, but it can come on earlier.
How common is this condition?
Parkinson’s disease is very common overall, ranking second among age-related degenerative brain diseases. It’s also the most common motor (movement-related) brain disease. Experts estimate that it affects at least 1% of people over age 60 worldwide.
What are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?
The main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:
- tremor or shaking, often when resting or tired. It usually begiin one arm or hand
- muscle rigidity or stiffness, which can limit movement and may be painful
- slowing of movement, which may lead to periods of freezing (inability to start moving) and small shuffling steps
- stooped posture and balance problems
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease vary from person to person as well as over time. Some people also experience:
- loss of unconscious movements, such as blinking and smiling
- difficulties with handwriting
- changes to speech, such as soft, quick, or slurred speech
- anxiety or depression
- loss of smell
- constipation
- lack of urinary control
- sleep disturbance
- fatigue
- impotence
- drop in blood pressure leading to dizziness
- difficulty swallowing
- sweating
Many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease could be caused by other conditions. For example, a stooped posture could be caused by osteoporosis. But if you are worried about your symptoms, it is a good idea to see your doctor.
Causes of Parkinson’s disease
In Parkinson’s disease, certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually break down or die. Many of the symptoms are due to a loss of neurothat produce a chemical messenger in your brain called dopamine. When dopamine levels decrease, it causes atypical brain activity, leading to impaired movement and other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, but several factors appear to play a role, including:
- Researchers have identified specific genetic changes that can cause Parkinson’s disease. But these are uncommon except in rare cases with many family members affected by Parkinson’s disease.
- However, certain gene variatioappear to increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease but with a relatively small risk of Parkinson’s disease for each of these genetic markers.
- Environmental triggers. Exposure to certain toxior environmental factors may increase the risk of later Parkinson’s disease, but the risk is small.
Researchers have also noted that many changes occur in the braiof people with Parkinson’s disease, although it’s not clear why these changes occur. These changes include:
- The presence of Lewy bodies. Clumps of specific substances within brain cells are microscopic markers of Parkinson’s disease. These are called Lewy bodies, and researchers believe these Lewy bodies hold an important clue to the cause of Parkinson’s disease.
- Alpha-synuclein is found within Lewy bodies. Although many substances are found within Lewy bodies, scientists believe an important one is a natural and widespread protein called alpha-synuclein (a-synuclein). It’s found in all Lewy bodies in a clumped form that cells can’t break down. This is currently an important focus among Parkinson’s disease researchers.
Stages of Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease can take years or even decades to cause severe effects. In 1967, two experts, Margaret Hoehn and Melvin Yahr created the staging system for Parkinson’s disease. That staging system is no longer in widespread use because staging this condition is less helpful than determining how it affects each person’s life individually and then treating them accordingly.
Today, the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is healthcare providers’ main tool to classify this disease. The MDS-UPDRS examines four different areas of how Parkinson’s disease affects you:
- Part 1: Non-motor aspects of experiences of daily living. This section deals with non-motor (non-movement) symptoms like dementia, depression, anxiety, and other mental ability- and mental health-related issues. It also asks questioabout pain, constipation, incontinence, fatigue, etc.
- Part 2: Motor aspects of experiences of daily living. This section covers the effects on movement-related tasks and abilities. It includes your ability to speak, eat, chew and swallow, dress and bathe yourself if you have tremors, and more.
- Part 3: Motor examination. A healthcare provider uses this section to determine the movement-related effects of Parkinson’s disease. The criteria measure effects based on how you speak, facial expressions, stiffness, and rigidity, walking gait and speed, balance, movement speed, tremors, etc.
- Part 4: Motor complications. This section involves a provider determining how much of an impact the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are affecting your life. That includes both the amount of time you have certain symptoms each day, and whether or not those symptoms affect how you spend your time.
Complications
Parkinson’s dementia
Parkinson’s dementia is a complication of Parkinson’s disease. It causes people to develop difficulties with reasoning, thinking, and problem-solving. It’s quite common — 50 to 80 percent of people with Parkinson’s will experience some degree of dementia.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease dementia include:
- depression
- sleep disturbances
- delusions
- confusion
- hallucinations
- mood swings
- slurred speech
- changes in appetite
- changes in energy level
Parkinson’s disease destroys chemical-receiving cells in the brain. Over time, this can lead to dramatic changes, symptoms, and complications.
Certain people are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease dementia. Risk factors for the condition include:
- Men are more likely to develop it.
- The risk increases as you get older.
- Existing cognitive impairment. If you had memory and mood issues before a Parkinson’s diagnosis, your risk may be higher for dementia.
- Severe Parkinson’s symptoms. You may be more at risk for Parkinson’s disease dementia if you have a severe motor impairment, such as rigid muscles and difficulty walking.
Currently, there’s no treatment for Parkinson’s disease dementia. Instead, a doctor will focus on treating other symptoms.
Sometimes medicatioused for other types of dementia can be helpful. This is the most common Parkinson’s disease stage system, but alternative staging systems for Parkinson’s are sometimes used.
Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease
There are currently no blood or laboratory tests to diagnose non-genetic cases of Parkinson’s. Doctors usually diagnose the disease by taking a person’s medical history and performing a neurological examination. If symptoms improve after starting to take medication, it’s another indicator that the person has Parkinson’s.
A number of disorders can cause symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s disease. People with Parkinson’s-like symptoms that result from other causes, such as multiple system atrophy and dementia with Lewy bodies, are sometimes said to have parkinsonism.
While these disorders initially may be misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s, certain medical tests, as well as responses to drug treatment, may help to better evaluate the cause. Many other diseases have similar features but require different treatments, so it is important to get an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible.
Treatments for Parkinson’s disease
Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medicines, surgical treatment, and other therapies can often relieve some symptoms.
Medicines for Parkinson’s disease
Medicines can help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s by:
- Increasing the level of dopamine in the brain
- Having an effect on other brain chemicals, such as neurotransmitters, which transfer information between brain cells
- Helping control non-movement symptoms
The main therapy for Parkinson’s is levodopa. Nerve cells use levodopa to make dopamine to replenish the brain’s dwindling supply. Usually, people take levodopa along with another medication called carbidopa. Carbidopa prevents or reduces some of the side effects of levodopa therapy — such as nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and restlessness — and reduces the amount of levodopa needed to improve symptoms.
People living with Parkinson’s disease should never stop taking levodopa without telling their doctor. Suddenly stopping the drug may have serious side effects, like being unable to move or having difficulty breathing.
The doctor may prescribe other medicines to treat Parkinson’s symptoms, including:
- Dopamine agonists stimulate the production of dopamine in the brain
- Enzyme inhibitors (e.g., MAO-B inhibitors, COMT inhibitors) increase the amount of dopamine by slowing down the enzymes that break down dopamine in the brain
- Amantadine to help reduce involuntary movements
- Anticholinergic drugs to reduce tremors and muscle rigidity
Deep brain stimulation
For people with Parkinson’s disease who do not respond well to medications, the doctor may recommend deep brain stimulation. During a surgical procedure, a doctor implants electrodes into part of the brain and connects them to a small electrical device implanted in the chest.
The device and electrodes painlessly stimulate specific areas in the brain that control movement in a way that may help stop many of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as tremors, slowness of movement, and rigidity.
Other therapies
Other therapies that may help manage Parkinson’s symptoms include:
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapies, which may help with gait and voice disorders, tremors and rigidity, and decline in mental functions
- A healthy diet to support overall wellness
- Exercises to strengthen muscles and improve balance, flexibility, and coordination
- Massage therapy to reduce tension
- Yoga and tai chi to increase stretching and flexibility
Conclusion
To conclude, scientists are still unsure what causes Parkinson’s. It is a lifelong condition that can be managed with lifestyle changes and medical treatments. Talk with your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms of Parkinson’s or if you have been diagnosed and are looking for new ways to manage the condition.