Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that affects the nervous system and causes unintended or uncontrollable movements controlled by the nerves. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease start slowly, and include shaking, stiffness in the body, and difficulty in balance and coordination that goes unnoticeable sometimes but progresses over time; it causes stiffness and slowdown movement Although it has been reported till now that Parkinson's disease cannot be cured and some medications might significantly improve our symptoms.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder in which a person’s nervous system is affected. A smooth and coordinated bodily muscle movement in our body is due to the release of dopamine in our brain which is produced by the part of the brain called “substantia nigra.” In Parkinson’s disease, substantia nigra cells die which reduces the dopamine level in the brain and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease start appearing. Some research studies are of the opinion that this disease affects more men than women but the reason is still unclear to understand factors that may increase a person’s risk. This disease is age-dependent and occurs mostly after 60 years or so.
Causes of Parkinson’s Disease
Now that you know what is Parkinson’s disease, let us now discuss what causes Parkinson’s disease. It is interesting to note that the exact cause of Parkinson’s is unknown but it is still believed that it may be due to both genetic and environmental components. It has been studied those low levels of dopamine and the norepinephrine hormone that regulates dopamine, have been linked with Parkinson’s disease. Abnormal proteins called Lewy bodies have reportedly been found in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease. While there is no definite list, Parkinson’s disease is caused by a range of factors. So, based on the research some other factors that may cause this disease are:
- Sex: Men are more likely to develop to develop Parkinson’s than women.
- Race: According to research, there is a higher prevalence of Parkinson’s in white people compared with Black or Asian people due to geographical location.
- Age: Parkinson’s usually appears among people with age between 50 and 60 years.
- Family history: People are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease if they have any family history with the case of Parkinson’s disease
- Toxins: Continuous exposure to certain toxins might increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease in some people with low immune systems.
- Head injury: People who experience severe head injuries are more prone to develop Parkinson’s disease due to changes in dopamine in the brain cells.
- Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: Experts believe idiopathic Parkinson’s disease happens because of changes in shape that might be due to protein misfolding in the sub-unit called α-synuclein
With every passing year, researchers are still looking for the exact cause of Parkinson’s disease.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
Some of the early symptoms of Parkinson’s that may begin several years before motor problems develop are tremor that occurs at rest, slow movements, stiffness of arms, legs, and trunk problems with balance and a tendency to fall. Other symptoms are decreased ability to smell, cramped handwriting, changes in voice, stooped posture, blank facial expression, and low-volume speech.
The symptoms of Parkinson's Other symptoms are Parkinsonian gait which is a condition to take shuffling steps while walking. Early symptoms of this disease are subtle and occur gradually in the patient. Some people may feel mild tremors or may feel difficulty getting out of a chair. One may notice that the patient starts speaking too softly, their handwriting is slow and looks small. Friends or family members may be the first person to notice changes in a person’s face with lack of expression and they might notice that a person does not move an arm or leg normally.
Symptoms often begin to appear on one side of the body in which the movement from one limb or one side of the body slows down and it eventually affects both sides with the progression of the disease.
Some people with Parkinson’s disease may experience changes in their cognitive function which means problems with memory, maintaining focus and attention, and the ability to plan and accomplish tasks are increasing along with stress and depression.
Over time, as the disease progresses, some people may develop which is Parkinson’s dementia because of that the person experiences loss of memory and thinking problems
Other associated symptoms may include flaky white or yellow scales known as seborrheic dermatitis, increased risk of melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer, sleep disturbances including vivid dreams, talking, and movement during sleep also adds up to the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.