Diagnosis & Symptoms

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive and degenerative brain disorder that affects an individual’s motor movements and also can cause other symptoms such as sleep disruptions, decreased sense of smell, constipation and mood changes, among others.

The Role of Dopamine

The main role of any additional testing is to exclude other diseases that imitate Parkinson’s disease, such as a stroke.

If you are experiencing Parkinson’s-like symptoms, make an appointment with your primary care physician, neurologist, or movement disorder specialist.

The symptoms someone has and how quickly the condition develops will differ from one person to the next. Always consult your doctor to determine if the symptoms you’re experiencing may be a sign of Parkinson’s disease or a sign of other health issues.

Parkinson’s Disease Statistics

  • Parkinson’s disease generally affects individuals over age 60.
  • 1,000,000 Americans are living with Parkinson’s disease.
  • 17,000 Coloradoans have Parkinson’s disease.
  • 4% of all individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s are under age 50.
  • Men are more likely to have Parkinson’s disease than women.
  • $52 Billion – The annual cost of Parkinson’s disease to the United States

What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?

While the exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is not known, experts suspect it may be a combination of genetic and environment factors. Age is considered a risk factor.

GENETICS AND PARKINSON’S

A number of gene mutations that have been associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease including mutations in the parkin, PINK1, LRRK2 DJ-1 and glucocerebrosidase (GBA). Although genetics may be a contributing factor, the majority of Parkinson’s cases are not genetically related. If you have a parent or sibling with Parkinson’s, you have a slightly higher risk of getting PD.

ENVIRONMENT AND PARKINSON’S

Studies indicate that environmental toxins may contribute to Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, there is a higher incidence of Parkinson’s in rural communities with well water that may have a heavy concentration of manganese and pesticides. Prolonged exposure to some chemicals may elevate the risk of PD.

  • Insecticides – permethrin and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH)
  • Herbicides – paraquat and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
  • Fungicide – maneb.
  • Agent Orange

Limited exposure to environmental toxins doesn’t cause Parkinson’s. There is no conclusive evidence that environmental factors alone cause Parkinson’s.

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