What is Parkinson's Disease?

The onset of Parkinson's disease is a tragic time for any patient and their family.  As a degenerative condition, patients suffering from the condition are faced with no hope of recovery, but rather a slow and wearing process of loss of movement and co-ordination. Most notably, the condition involves the tremor, whereby patients can be seen trembling uncontrollably, as well as loss in speech capabilities and gradually all functionality in its later stages.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder which takes effect on the central nervous system.  A movement disorder, Parkinson's can be seen in four major symptoms; namely rigidity of muscles, a tremor of movement, slowing of overall movement (known as bradykinesia) and in certain instances loss of movement altogether.  The symptoms gradually become more and more apparent in sufferers, and are progressive, that is patients do not recover, or get better.  This degenerative condition is not contagious, nor passed genetically?, and very little is known about the causes of most instances of the condition.  Having said that, some cases can be explained through extreme drug abuse, cranial damage and other abuses of the body which have been shown to give rise to the condition.

The condition occurs as a result of the loss or destruction of brain cells which produce dopamine, a chemical associated with muscle activity.  This chronic condition was first discovered and charted by James Parkinson in 1817, and concerns what he labelled as his patient's 'shaking palsy'.

A disease which has been a mystery to scientists and physicians across the world since its discovery, Parkinson's has no known cure, although there are ways to treat it and perhaps stall its development.  Additionally, there are a number of support groups for both sufferers and caregivers, providing some much needed reassurance that all is not lost, and there are still ways to work to help the condition, which can sometimes feel like a distant fantasy.

A particularly crushing aspect of the disease is the impact it can have on a patient's everyday life.  The simplest of physical tasks become impossible, leaving the sufferer eventually in need of round the clock care and attention. There is at present no way of knowing who will develop the disease, or to what extent, although reassuringly, scientists the world over are desperately trying to expand their knowledge of the condition and looking for other treatments, and possibly even the elusive cure.

Sadly, for patients with Parkinson's today, there is no real way out, and it's best to try and remain as active and involved as possible in the normal daily routine to keep up morale, and keep the patient interested in life.  Such a demoralizing condition as Parkinson's requires a lot of patience, and it can be particularly hard and frustrating to see a family member descend into such a state.  There are however, a variety of ways to significantly reduce the effects of the condition, and it is advisable for anyone worried about themselves, a friend or family member to consult their physician for more information on the condition and what can be done to curb its onset.

Parkinson's disease news on the Web

Turmeric treatment for Parkinson's - Daily News & Analysis

View Original Article Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:16:40 GMT+00:00

Turmeric treatment for Parkinson's Daily News & Analysis ?During the experiment, we found positive results for treating Parkinson's disease,? Bharath said. The disease is caused by the loss of neurons ? in the ... and more »

Latest treatments for Parkinson's disease - Sandwich Broadsider

View Original Article Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:54:33 GMT+00:00

Latest treatments for Parkinson's disease Sandwich Broadsider Noted neurosurgeon and Parkinson's specialist Emad Eskandar, MD, from Massachusetts General Hospital will join neurologist and RHCI ...

Video shows Ohio man with Parkinson's disease confronted at rally over health ... - Fox 59

View Original Article Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:04:05 GMT+00:00

Columbus Dispatch

Video shows Ohio man with Parkinson's disease confronted at rally over health ... Fox 59 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? An Ohio man with Parkinson's disease who was harassed at a rally by opponents of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul says ... Health reform protest turns nastyKansas City Star Parkinson's patient gains national attention from health-care rally confrontationExaminer.com Parkinson's patient gains national attention from health-care rally confrontationColumbus Dispatch TPM (blog) -Huffington Post (blog) all 14 news articles »

Irish genes helping to find some answers for brain disorders (Irish Central)

View Original Article Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:07:18 GMT
Ireland?s relative lack of immigration and pure gene pool has made its people a great test study for degenerative brain disorders. The professor is concentrating on research on Motor Neurone Disease ? an ailment that can affect one in every 400 people in Ireland . Theoretical physicist and world renowned scholar Professor Stephen Hawking suffers from the disease.

Molecule offers hope for Parkinson's treatment (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

View Original Article Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:56:38 GMT
Australian scientists have identified a molecule which controls inflammation in the brain, offering hope of a future treatment for conditions such as Parkinson's Disease.

John Walker knighted by the Queen (3news)

View Original Article Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:19:32 GMT
They say a single knight can still be truly memorable and it is certainly true of John Walker - the only knighthood in today's Queen's Birthday Honours.