Know the early signs, causes and treatment
According to Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s disease is a gradual nervous system disorder that affects the movement. Parkinson’s is characterized by merely tremors in just one hand. Although Tremors is a common sympton, the disorder also causes stiffness or slowing down of movement. As of now there is no cure for the Parkinsons disease, however medication can alleviate some of the symptoms. However in some cases surgery is also recommended.
Causes of Parkinson’s disease
Low Dopamine levels in brain result in Parkinsons. This is a disorder that affects the nervous system. Other causes of the disease include environmental factors such as toxins and genetic changes. Environmental factors may include any of the following:
i. Pesticide exposure
ii. Head injuries
iii. living in the rural area or farming
iv. Air pollution related to road traffic
Early Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
The symptoms of Parkinsons disease usually begin with just a tremor and stiffness in the body. Over time the symptoms develop and worsen gradually leading to loss of memory or even Dementia(Impairment in Memory, thinking and Behaviour).The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may vary from person to person. Most individuals ignore the symptoms in the initial stages. However as the time progresses, the symptoms get worse and can affect both sides. Early symptoms could include the following:
- Tremors in the body
- Coordination and Balance impairments
- Loss of Smell
- Posture changes during walking
- Loss of facial nerve coordination resulting in fixed facial expressions
- voice tremor or softer voice
- more cramped and smaller handwriting
- sleep problems resulting from restless legs and other factors
- Rapid Eye movement sleep disorder
Other Common Symptoms of the Parkinson’s
Other common symptoms of the disease include Depression, Difficulty in swallowing, fatigue, constipation, skin problems and hallucinations develop with time.
Diagonosis
There is currently no test for Parkinson’s disease. Moreover its similarity to other conditions can make it all the more difficult for diagnosis during the early stages.
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