Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder characterized by the continuous loss of muscle control leading abnormal body movements.
The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown. Nevertheless, genetic abnormalities and environmental factors like prolong chemical exposure may lead to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is usually observed in elderly patients above 50 years of age.
The four important signs of Parkinson’s disease include:
Shaking of hand while writing, abnormal facial expressions and body movements are the other symptoms that can be observed in a patient with Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed by the careful examination of patient’s neurological history about the signs and symptoms. At the early phase, patients should be revaluated continuously to prevent the misdiagnosis.
Hoehn and Yahr scale, and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale are useful in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Blood test, contrast tomography (CT) & magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) are the pathological and imaging studies useful in knowing the underlying cause of Parkinson’s disease.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but by proper use of medication the symptoms can be controlled.
Levodopa, and carbidopa are the main drug that are used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Dopamine agonist and monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors are the other drugs that can be used.
Speech therapy is advised to avoid the difficulties while speaking. Whereas, occupational therapy helps in overcoming the everyday problems like bathing, dressing etc.
Deep brain stimulation is the surgical procedure that helps in correcting the neurological symptoms, if drugs tend to fail.