Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative nervous system disease that occurs due to loss of muscle control. In Parkinson’s disease, the brain’s nerve cells fail to produce enough dopamine, which is an essential chemical for our body. Dopamine sends signals to the area of our brain which controls movement and thus regulates the body’s movement and coordination. Parkinson’s is a long-term disease and as the damage to the brain progresses, the sufferer’s ability to move and perform even the simplest of activities gets affected.

Mentioned below are 7 things we should know about Parkinson’s disease:

Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms
Parkinson’s disease is characterized by tremors of the hands, arms and legs, however that is not the only symptom of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease also causes stiffness of limbs, muscle rigidity, slowness of movements and poor coordination. As the disease progresses, these symptoms become more severe and patients suffering from Parkinson’s start facing a lot of other issues such as bladder issues, reduced facial expressions, inability to speak properly, inability to walk or move the arms, loss of sense of smell, difficulty in swallowing or eating etc.

Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis
Parkinson’s disease is very difficult to diagnose during its initial stages. There is no specific test for Parkinson’s. Doctors may use X-rays, MRI scans or CT scans to rule out other possibilities for the symptoms. As a rule of thumb, two out of the four major symptoms of Parkinson’s should be present for the doctors to diagnose the disease. These four symptoms are: tremors, muscle/limb rigidity, slowness of movement and balance/coordination issue.

Parkinson’s Disease Cause
There is no fixed cause for Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease occurs, when the nerve cells in the brains start to break down and die. This in turn causes a loss in the production of the chemical, dopamine. However, there is no specific reason why this happens. There are certain risk factors though, which can contribute to the onset of Parkinson’s. Some of them are genetic mutations, increasing age, family history, gender (men are more prone to Parkinson’s than women), exposure to toxic elements, head trauma.

Age As A Factor
Parkinson’s disease is generally associated with adults and older people; however, juvenile onset of Parkinson’s is not very uncommon. A lot of people get affected by this disease during their thirties and forties (case in point, famous actor Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed in his 30’s). The progression of the disease is considerably slower, when it occurs for people below the age of 50.

Progression Of The Disease
The progression of the disease differs from person to person. While, for some patients the disease can progress rapidly, for certain others, the progression may be quite slow, to the point that they may not suffer from any significant impairment.

Parkinson’s Disease Cure
There is no known cure for Parkinson’s, however, there are several treatment options which can significantly manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s and help the patients lead a better-quality life. In fact, Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicine system has shown considerable progress in the treatment of these symptoms. Ayurvedic treatment for Parkinson consists of two primary methods: Oleation (treatment through the application of oil), Fomentation (sweat inducing therapy). These methods help in bringing about a balance of the mind, body and soul.

Stress and Anxiety with Parkinson’s
Stress can worsen the symptoms of Parkinson’s; however, it is an inevitable part of the disease. It is therefore important that the person suffering from Parkinson’s receives a lot of support from friends, family and co-workers.  People suffering from Parkinson’s also suffer from depression and anxiety, so, it’s very important that they receive as much help and care as they can.