Sietske N. Heyn is a medical writer with a PhD in neuroscience. Dr. Heyn's education includes a BS with honors from the University of Oregon, and a doctoral degree in neuroscience from the University of California at Davis. After completing postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco, and many years of working as a medical writer at the Stanford University Center for Down Syndrome Research, Dr. Heyn now runs her own medical writing business.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
The primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are all related to voluntary and
involuntary motor function and usually start on one side of the body. Symptoms
are mild at first and will progress over time. Some individuals are more
affected than others. Characteristic motor symptoms include
the following:
Tremors: Trembling in fingers, hands, arms, feet, legs, jaw, or head.
Rigidity: Stiffness of the limbs and trunk, which may increase
during movement. Rigidity may produce muscle aches and pain.
Bradykinesia: Slowness of voluntary movement.
Postural instability: Impaired or lost reflexes can make it
difficult to adjust posture to maintain balance.
Parkinsonian gait: Individuals with more progressive Parkinson's
disease develop a distinctive shuffling walk with a stooped position and a
diminished or absent arm swing.
Secondary symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Some of the secondary symptoms include:
anxiety, insecurity, and stress,
confusion,
memory loss, and
dementia (more common in elderly individuals),
Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and
the most common movement disorder. It is characterized by progressive loss of
muscle control, which leads to trembling of the limbs and head while at rest,
stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance. As symptoms worsen, it may become
difficult to walk, talk, and complete simple tasks.
The progression of Parkinson's disease and the degree of impairment vary from
individual to individual. Many people with Parkinson's disease live long
productive lives, whereas others become disabled much more quickly. Premature
death is usually due to complications such as falling-related injuries or
pneumonia.
In the United States, about 1 million people are affected by Parkinson's
disease and worldwide about 5 million. Most individuals who develop Parkinson's
disease are 60 years of age or older. Parkinson's disease occurs in
approximately 1% of individuals aged 60 years and in about 4% of those aged 80
years. Since overall life expectancy is rising, the number of individuals with
Parkinson's disease will increase in the future. Adult-onset Parkinson's disease
is most common, but early-onset Parkinson's disease (onset between 21-40 years),
and juvenile-onset Parkinson's disease (onset before age 21) also exist.
Descriptions of Parkinson's disease date back as far as 5000 BC. Around that
time, an ancient Indian civilization called the disorder Kampavata and treated
it with the seeds of a plant containing therapeutic levels of what is today
known as levodopa. Parkinson's disease was named after the British doctor James
Parkinson, who in 1817 first described the disorder in great detail as "shaking
palsy."
What causes Parkinson's disease?
A substance called dopamine acts as a messenger between two brain areas - the
substantia nigra and the corpus striatum - to produce smooth, controlled
movements. Most of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson's disease are
caused by a lack of dopamine due to the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the
substantia nigra. When the amount of dopamine is too low, communication between
the substantia nigra and corpus striatum becomes ineffective, and movement
becomes impaired; the greater the loss of dopamine, the worse the
movement-related symptoms. Other cells in the brain also degenerate to some
degree and may contribute to non-movement related symptoms of Parkinson's
disease.
Although it is well known that lack of dopamine causes the motor symptoms of
Parkinson's disease, it is not clear why the dopamine-producing brain cells
deteriorate. Genetic and pathological studies have revealed that various
dysfunctional cellular processes, inflammation, and stress can all contribute to
cell damage. In addition, abnormal clumps called Lewy bodies, which contain the
protein alpha-synuclein, are found in many brain cells of individuals with
Parkinson's disease. The function of these clumps in regards to Parkinson's
disease is not understood. In general, scientists suspect that dopamine loss is
due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Muscle cramps are involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscles that do not relax. Extremely common, any muscles that have voluntary control, including some organs, are subject to cramp. Since there is such variety in the types of muscle cramps that can occur, many causes and preventative medications are known. Stretching is the most common way to stop or prevent most muscle cramps.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
Dizziness is a symptom that is often applies to a variety of sensations including lightheadedness and vertigo. Causes of dizziness include low blood pressure, heart problems, anemia, dehydration, and more. Treatment of dizziness depends on the cause.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, is a common
problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustain an
erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve
ejaculation, or both. Impotence can have emotional causes but most often it is
due to a physical problem.
Tremor is the involuntary movements of one or more parts of the body. Causes of tremor include neurological disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, drugs, mercury poisoning, overactive thyroid and liver failure. There are several types of tremor. Treatment depends upon the type of tremor and availability of medications for the condition.
Overactive bladder is a sudden involuntary contraction of the muscle wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency (an immediate unstoppable need to urinate). Overactive bladder is is a form of urinary incontinence. Treatment options may include Kegel exercises, biofeedback, vaginal weight training, pelvic floor electrical stimulation, behavioral therapy, and medications.
Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration.
Huntington's disease is the result of degeneration of neurons in areas of the brain. Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder. Early symptoms include mood swings, apathy, depression, and anger uncharacteristic of the individual. Judgement, memory, and other cognitive functions may become impaired. Presymptomatic testing is available for individuals who have a family history of Huntington's disease. Treatment includes medication and therapy for symptoms.
Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia. Treatment for insomnia include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.
Orthostatic hypotension symptoms include lightheadedness, weakness, blurred vision, and syncope or passing out. Causes of orthostatic hypotension include dehydration, anemia, medication, blood loss, low blood pressure, heat related illnesses and more. Treatment of orthostatic hypotension depends on the underlying cause.
There are many types of urinary incontinence (UI), which is the accidental leakage of urine. These types include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, and overflow incontinence. Urinary incontinence in men may be caused by prostate or nerve problems. Treatment depends upon the type and severity of the UI and the patient's lifestyle.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease) is a neurological disease that progresses rapidly. The disease attacks the nerve cells responsible for the control of voluntary muscles. Early symptoms include cramping, twitching, or stiffness of the muscles; slurred nasal speech; difficulty swallowing or chewing, and muscle weakness in an arm or leg. Currently, the cause of ALS is not known. ALS is a fatal disease. No cure has been found for ALS, however, the drug riluzole (Rilutek) is FDA approved, and this drug reduces the damage to motor neurons by decreasing the release of glutamate.
People who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder spasm, or "detrusor contraction," occurs when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly without warning, causing an urgent need to release urine. The spasm can force urine from the bladder, causing leakage. When this happens, the condition is called urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
Millions of women suffer from urinary incontinence (UI). UI occurs twice as often in women as in men. There are many types of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overactive bladder, functional incontinence, overflow incontinence, transient incontinence, and mixed incontinence.
The most common taste disorder is phantom taste perception; that is, a lingering, often unpleasant taste even though you have nothing in your mouth. We also can experience a reduced ability to taste sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami, a condition called hypogeusia. Some people cannot detect any tastes, which is called ageusia.
Stem cells are referred to as undifferentiated cells due to the fact that they have not yet committed to a developmental path to form specific organ tissue. There are a variety of types of stem cells to include embryonic, fetal, adult peripheral blood, umbilical cord, and induced pluripotent stem cells.
Eating a well-balanced and nutritional diet is very beneficial to people with Parkinson's disease. With a proper diet, our bodies work more efficiently and it is especially helpful because Parkinson's disease medications will work properly.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
Reduction of the sense of smell is termed hyposmia. Total inability to detect odors is termed anosmia. Smell disorders have many causes. Most people who develop a smell disorder have recently experienced an illness or an injury.
Depression in the elderly is very common. That doesn't mean, though, it's normal. Treatment may involve antidepressants, psychotherapy, or electroconvulsive therapy.
Hospice is a service that offers support, resources, and assistance to terminally ill patients and their families. In such late stages of diseases, especially when there is "nothing left to do," hospice can offer help for patients and families. There are many aspects of a patient's well-being that can be addressed. Hospice can play a key role in managing physical symptoms of a disease (palliative care) and supporting patients and families emotionally and spiritually.
Before participating in a clinical trial for Parkinson's disease consider the risks and the benefits. You should know about who is eligible and what the necessary precautions are. Find out more in this article all about Parkinson's disease clinical trials.
A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. When we use the muscles that can be controlled voluntarily, such as those of our arms and legs, they alternately contract and relax as we move our limbs. Muscles that support our head, neck, and trunk contract similarly in a synchronized fashion to maintain our posture. A muscle (or even a few fibers of a muscle) that involuntarily (without consciously willing it) contracts is in a "spasm." If the spasm is forceful and sustained, it becomes a cramp. Muscle cramps cause a visible or palpable hardening of the involved muscle.
Muscle cramps can last anywhere from a few seconds to a quarter of an
hour or occasionally longer. It is not uncommon for a cramp to
recur multiple times until it finally goes away. The cramp may
involve a part of a muscle, the entire muscle, or several muscles
that usually act together, such as those that flex adjacent ...