Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the progressive nervous system which can affect body movements. When someone has this disease, certain nerve cells in his/her brain will gradually be damaged and die. As a result, the dopamine levels will decrease. This can cause brain activity to be disrupted, which leads to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Symptoms of Parkinson's take place in stages, starting from tremors to stiffness in certain body parts. In the early stages of Parkinson’s, a person will experience changes in facial expressions, and their voice will become softer. Over time, the symptoms of Parkinson's will worsen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), complications in Parkinson's disease can cause death.
Parkinson's disease is commonly found on the elderly, but it is possible that young people can also suffer from this disease, even though such cases are very rare. There are several factors that can increase the risk of Parkinson’s, such as having relatives with a history of Parkinson’s, exposure to pesticides. Parkinson's disease is more common in men. The presence of a lump of protein in the brain, commonly referred to as Lewy bodies, can also cause Parkinson's disease.
Until now, there is no specific treatment that can help cure Parkinson's disease. However, there are medicines recommended by doctors to reduce the symptoms of the disease. There are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s, such as doing regular exercise and consuming caffeine or green tea.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay
Source(s):
- Mayo Clinic - Parkinson’s Disease (2018). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055, January 09, 2019.
- Parkinson’s Foundation - What Is Parkinson’s?. https://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons, January 09, 2019.