2 weeks Ago
A man with Parkinson's disease has a tremor he uses his other hand to keep from trembling. April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and even though we know more about the disease than ever before, about 100,000 new individuals are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year. In fact, it’s the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's, according to the Parkinson's Foundation.
While many of the one million people in the United States who have Parkinson’s disease have learned to survive and even thrive, the disease is debilitating for many of them and often significantly impacts their quality of life. Here's what Parkinson's disease is, what likely causes it, and how it is usually treated. Parkinson’s disease, or PD, is a chronic and progressive condition that can significantly impact the body’s nervous system by damaging or killing nerve cells, thereby affecting coordination and movement and decreasing dopamine production.
The loss of this "feel-good" hormone, combined with how the disease affects areas of the brain responsible for cognitive function and coordination is why PD can be so debilitating. "This is a disease that not only affects movement, but also mood and thinking and causes about 20 motor and non-motor symptoms," says Dr. Michael Okun, medical advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation and director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at University of Florida Health.
"This all makes Parkinson's disease one of the most complex diseases in medicine." Some of the symptoms associated with PD include tremors in the hands and fingers and elsewhere throughout the body, balance and coordination impairments, changes in voice and diminished ability to smell, fatigue, difficulty writing, chewing, or swallowing, muscle rigidity, mood changes, and sleep issues including restless legs. Dementia, depression, and memory issues can also occur.
Many of these symptoms "increase with the duration of the disease," says Dr. Delaram Safarpour, medical director of the movement disorders surgical program at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Exact causes of PD are still being researched, "but the etiology of the disease is most likely multifactorial," says Safarpour.
One factor is associated with aging as the body goes through cellular changes it gets older. "But it's important to note that this is not a disease of just the elderly and many young people are also diagnosed," says Okun. Genetic predispositions also likely play a part—though probably less so than was once suspected.
“Less than one in every five cases of the disease is likely caused by genetics," says Okun. Gender matters as well as research shows that men are about 1.5 times more likely to develop the disease than are women.
Environmental factors such as exposures to environmental toxins, cautions Safarpour, also likely contributes. "We now strongly suspect that many cases of PD are caused by environmental exposures," echoes Okum. For instance, "pesticides like paraquat and chemicals like TCE are strongly linked to the occurrence of the disease," he explains.
No matter what causes PD, its symptoms can often be relieved—even though the disease cannot be cured. “A big myth about Parkinson’s disease is that it is not treatable," says Okun. He explains that some of the most common treatments include medication, strengthening exercises, and different forms of physical therapy.
"We also have many surgical options for people with Parkinson’s disease," he says Indeed, early surgical interventions can help prevent some of the worst symptoms from developing, "and increase quality of life for patients," says Safarpour. "Discussions for surgical evaluations should include an interdisciplinary team that includes a neurologist, neurosurgeon, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists," he advises. The disease can also be avoided much of the time.
"Regular exercise, a healthy diet, high-quality sleep, and avoidance of adverse exposures can all help," says Safarpour. And there’s reason to be hopeful for individuals already living with Parkinson’s disease or newly diagnosed. "We have people in our clinic who have been living their best life with Parkinson’s disease—and some have even had the disease for decades," says Okun.
"Once we help patients and families construct a proactive care plan, most people with Parkinson’s will reignite and realize there is a path to a happy and meaningful life.".
