What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly in most people. What this means is that individuals with PD will be living with PD for twenty years or more from the time of diagnosis. However, having PD does not mean you cannot have a good quality of life. Because there is no cure, your doctors will be focused and dedicated to finding treatments that help control the symptoms of PD and enable you to manage your PD.
Normally, there are brain cells (neurons) in the human brain that produce dopamine. These neurons concentrate in a particular area of the brain, called the substantia nigra. Dopamine is a chemical that relays messages between the substantia nigra and other parts of the brain to control movements of the human body. Dopamine helps humans to have smooth coordinated muscle movements. When approximately 60 to 80% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, and do not produce enough dopamine, the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear. This process of impairment of brain cells is called neurodegeneration.
The current theory (so-called Braak’s hypothesis) is that the earliest signs of Parkinson’s are found in the enteric nervous system, the medulla and in particular, the olfactory bulb, which controls your sense of smell. Under this theory, Parkinson’s only progresses to the substantia nigra and cortex over the years. This theory is increasingly borne out by evidence that non-motor symptoms, such as a loss of sense of smell, hyposmia, sleep disorders and constipation may precede the motor features of the disease by several years. For this reason, researchers are increasingly focused on these “non-motor” symptoms to both detect PD as early as possible and to look for ways to stop its progression.
Click here to watch neurologist and PAR Board Member, Dr. David VanSickle, discuss the symptoms and general facts of Parkinson's disease.
Diagnosis
There is no “one way” to diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, there are various symptoms and diagnostic tests used in combination. A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is based on your medical history and a thorough neurological exam. Your doctor also may check your sense of smell. Sometimes, your doctor will have you try a medicine for Parkinson's disease. If that medicine helps your symptoms, it may help the doctor find out if you have Parkinson's disease. Contact our information and referral hotline at (303) 830-1839 to speak with someone about finding a doctor in your area who specializes in treating Parkinson's disease.
Living with PD
Living with PD does not mean you have to stop doing the things you love-you might just have to adjust how you do them. You can maintain your quality of life and live well. It’s important to maintain a healthy diet (see our article on nutrition), stay connected with your friends and family, exercise to ease your symptoms and be good to yourself! Contact Cari Friedman at (303) 861-1810 to discuss what else you can do to make living with the disease as easy as possible
Treatment Options
Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Instead, therapy is directed at treating the symptoms that are most bothersome to an individual with Parkinson’s disease. For this reason, there is no standard or “best” treatment for Parkinson’s disease that applies to every patient. Treatment approaches include medication and surgical therapy. Other treatment approaches include general lifestyle modifications (rest and exercise), physical therapy, support groups, occupational therapy and speech therapy. What works for one patient, may not work for another. It will take a little time to find the right treatment for you.
Medications
Since most symptoms of PD are caused by the lack of dopamine in the brain, many Parkinson’s drugs are aimed at either temporarily replenishing dopamine or mimic the action of dopamine. These types of drugs are called dopaminergic. These medications generally help reduce muscle rigidity, improve speed and coordination of movement and lessen tremor.
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List of common PD medications |
