Female: Is that persistent tremor just a normal sign of aging? Or could it be something more serious? Could it be a Parkinson’s disease?
Male: More than 1.5 million Americans suffer from the degenerative movement disorder known as Parkinson ’s disease. While this disease is currently incurable, it is not fatal. Parkinson’s primarily affects the elderly. It is almost all diagnoses being made after the age of 60. In fact, just 15% of patients experience Parkinson’s symptoms before age 50.
Parkinson ’s disease is not new. In fact, it has been around for centuries. Symptoms of Parkinson’s are first described in Ancient Indian and Chinese texts, with the recommended treatment with a series of herbal preparations.
The disease was formally recognized in 1817 when British physician James Parkinson published an essay cataloguing the symptoms. He called the disease Paralysis Agitans but fellow doctors soon coined the disease Parkinson’s. Today, scientists understand that Parkinson’s disease results in part from the shortage of brain chemical Dopamine. Dopamine stimulates receptors in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that controls motor functions and emotions. Normal brain stimulation results in good nerve cell function and normal movements.
In people with Parkinson’s however, 70% or more of these Dopamine cells have died reducing the amount of Dopamine in the system. As a result, movement becomes very difficult. Classic Parkinson’s symptoms include tremors, difficulty bouncing, stiff limbs and slower movements. Some patients experienced decrease facial movement including trouble blinking and swallowing.
The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, although scientists do suspect that both genetics and exposure to environmental toxins may play a role. In rare cases, head trauma, stroke, prescription and any psychotic medication may also contribute to the onset of symptoms.
Although Parkinson’s disease is progressive, people who will have and can still lead fulfilling, productive lives. Just look at three-time world heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali. Since his diagnosis in the mid 1980’s, Ali has written a book, started the line of healthy snack foods and traveled the world for humanitarian aid projects.
Actor Michael J. Fox has not let Parkinson’s get in the way of his career, either. Starring in more than 20 featured films, in television series since he began experiencing symptoms in the early 1990’s. The actor is also an advocate for people with the disease and he has created the Michael J. Fox foundation for Parkinson’s research.
Although the disease known as Parkinson’s is not curable, there are number of treatments that can help sufferers lead healthy lives. So, please talk to your doctor if you have concerns about Parkinson’s.
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