Parkinson’s disease is a disease where certain nerve cells, called neurons, gradually break down in the brain, or die. The loss of neurons decreases the level of dopamine, causes abnormal brain activity and creates different symptoms for the person.

Parkinson’s disease affects movement in the body and targets the nervous system.  The symptoms start gradually and normally start with tremors.  It can progress to more debilitating symptoms and can affect other areas of the body, such as stiffness in the body, speech and writing.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms can vary for each person and may include:

  • Tremors
    • Tremors are shaking that occurs in different parts of the body.
  • Slowed movement
    • As the disease progresses, the person may experience slower movement in their body, which makes it more difficult to complete task.
  • Rigid muscles
    • The stiffening of muscles may occur throughout the body, which may result in decreased range of motion and increased pain.
  • Impaired posture and balance
  • Loss of automatic movements
    • The person may lose the ability to perform unconscious movements, such as swinging arms when they walk, smile, or blink.
  • Speech changes
    • The person’s speech can change, which can cause slurred speech.
  • Writing changes
    • It may become hard for them to write.

What causes Parkinson’s disease?

There are many factors that play a role in Parkinson’s disease, which include:

  • Genes
    • There are certain gene variations that may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, but it is rare.
  • Environmental factors
    • There is a possibility that if someone is exposed to certain toxins or environmental factors, they may acquire Parkinson’s disease, but is a small risk.

What are some of the risk factors Parkinson’s disease?

  • Age
    • The disease usually develops when people are 60+ years of age and is rare for young adults.  However it could start for a middle age person and the risk increases with age.
  • Heredity
    • Close relatives increase the chances of acquiring the disease, but it’s still a small risk.
  • Sex
    • Men have a higher likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease than women.

Complications

Along with having Parkinson’s disease, below are some of the additional problems that might occur:

  • Thinking difficulties
  • Depression and emotional changes
  • Swallowing problems
  • Chewing and eating problems
  • Sleep problems and sleep disorders
  • Bladder problems
  • Constipation
  • Blood pressure changes
  • Smell dysfunction
  • Fatigue
  • Pain
  • Sexual dysfunction

How do you prevent Parkinson’s Disease?

The cause of Parkinson’s Disease is unknown, so there is no known way to prevent the disease.

If you would like to learn more about this disease, it’s always best to consult with your healthcare professional.  Also, you can reference resources such as the National Institute on Aging at https://www.nia.nih.gov/.