Parkinson's Disease
Uploaded by fucadam on Apr 16, 2000
James Parkinson first discovered Parkinson's Disease in 1817. Parkinson's Disease is a common neurologic disorder for the elderly. It is a disorder of the brain characterized by shaking and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. This disease is associated with damage to a part of the brain that controls muscle movement. Parkinson's Disease is a chronic illness that is still being extensively studied. Parkinson's Disease has caused problems for many people in this world and plagued the elderly all over the world.
Parkinson's disease still puzzles doctors and the causes are unknown. It is known that it is a non-communicable disease and may even be hereditary. Parkinson's disease is thought to be caused by external factors. Most of the cases of this disease are caused by progressive deterioration of the nerve cells, which control muscle movement. Dopamine, one of the substances used in the brain to transmit impulses, is produced in the area of deterioration. Without this vital dopamine nerve cells cannot properly transmit messages resulting in a loss of muscle function.
Parkinson's Disease is a non-communicable disease and doctors have not yet found out whether or not it is a hereditary disease.
Parkinson's Disease has many distinct symptoms. The symptoms are:
Muscle Rigidity
stiffness
difficulty bending arms or legs
unstable, stooped, or slumped-over posture
loss of balance
walking pattern changes
slow movements
difficulty beginning to walk
difficulty initiating any voluntary movement
small steps followed by the need to run to maintain balance
freezing of movement when the movement is stopped, inability to resume - movement
muscle aches and pains
shaking, tremors (varying degrees, may not be present)
characteristically occur at rest, may occur at any time
may become severe enough to interfere with activities
may be worse when tired, excited, or stressed
finger-thumb rubbing (pill-rolling tremors) may be present
changes in facial expression
reduced ability to show facial expressions
"mask" appearance to face
staring
may be unable to close mouth
reduced rate of blinking
voice/speech changes
slow speech
low-volume voice
monotone
difficulty speaking
loss of fine motor skills
difficulty writing, may be small and illegible
difficulty eating
difficulty with any activity that requires small movements
movement, uncontrolled- slow
frequent falls
decline in intellectual function (may occur, can be severe)
a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, mainly constipation
In order to diagnose whether or not a person has Parkinson's Disease based on the symptoms a physical examination can be preformed. Symptoms are often hard for a doctor to assess, especially in the elderly because...