PARKINSON

Parkinson disease in also refer to as “palsy” or “paralysis agitans”. Parkinson disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system. It causes tremors (especially in the hands) and rigidity (especially in the face). The disease affects men and women equally, primarily after age 60. However, approximately 10% of those with the disease bare fewer than 40. It is characterized by a severe shortage of dopamhort a neurotraninitter that Carsem messages from one nerve to another.

Dopamine relays motions commands from the brain to the body. It enables people to move normally by carrying messages between synapses in the brain and tells the body how and where to move. Without dopamine, people develop various motion problems, including slow neck movement also called Bradykinesia, tremors, (in the limbs, hands, head, neck, face, and jack, and muscle stiffness. Other symptoms include drooling, loss of appetite, shuffling gait, impaired speech, mask-like expression of the face and sluggishness. The brain’s slowness in transmitting the necessary instructions to the involved part of the body causes this delay in movement. Poor balance and walking problems usually develop, particularly, when there is a sudden change in the position of the body. Some people with Parkinson’s experience repeated falls and broken bones due to poor balance. Although no cure for the disease is available at this time, drug therapy can help alleviate the symptoms.

The cause of Parkinson disease is not known, but genetics, environmental toxins, aging and free radicals are thought to be risk factors for developing the disease. As a person ages there is a natural loss of some dopamine producing cells. In some cases however, for unknown reasons, there is a drastic reduction of these cells. When the reduction in dopamine reaches 80%, symptoms of Parkinson develop.