Parkinson's Disease - What Are The Causes, Symptoms, Risks & Method Of Treatment

Parkinson’s disease results from the loss of brain cells that are produce dopamine. It belongs to a group of conditions that are motor system disorders. It usually affects people over age of 50. Various causes may lead to it while no authentic treatment has yet been yet declared.

It is a disease in which the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine began to decline and this leads to a decrease in the dopamine available. However, the chemical that breaks down and utilizes dopamine remains functioning and thus it results in loss of dopamine in the brain causing the imbalance.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

The four primary symptoms are;

• Tremor or trembling of hands, arms, jaw and face
• Slow movements
• Impaired balance
• Postural instability

As the condition worsens some other symptoms can also be noticed such as

• Difficulty in walking
• Talking becomes hard
• Problems in swallowing
• Urinary problems
• Sleeping disruptions
• Skin problems
• Lack of facial expressions

Causes of Parkinson’s Disease

• The given causes for this disease are said to be the interaction of genes and the environment. Weak toxins are the harmful environmental agents by building up the effect and leading to this disease.
• Risk of this disease is increased by living in rural areas, exposure to well water and agricultural work. Thus, pesticides and insecticides can also contribute to this disease.

There were also a number of cases where none of these factors was found, yet patients were afflicted with this disease.

Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

• No accurate cure for this disease has been discovered up till yet. Patients are administered with Levodopa along with Caridopa which delays the conversion of Levodopa into dopamine till it reaches the brain. Levodopa is used to make dopamine.
• Other drugs like bromocriptine, pergolide, pramipexole, and ropinirole perform the function of dopamine in the brain.
• In some cases surgery is the only option left it the brain does not respond to drugs
• A therapy called the deep brain stimulation has proved helpful when electrodes are implanted in the brain and programmed. It can reduce the need for drugs that have side effects.

Risk Factors

• Biggest risk for this disease is the advancing age. Men have higher risk of developing it than women.
• Family history or first blood relations have great risk of interacting it.
• Caffeine consumption is associated with the reduction in risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

This is one disease that is still under study, its causes and treatment are a being searched out, while the best steps that can taken to deal with it is are being carried out.