Parkinson’s disease relates to a progressive disorder which affects an individual's nervous system. As a result, victims experience movement related difficulties. The ailment commences gradually often presenting itself in the form of tremors which attracts no preventive action. In the United States, it is estimated that about 1 million individuals may succumb to Parkinson’s disease by 2020. The diagnosis which accrues to roughly 60000 Americans highlights the prevalence of PD. Globally, over 10 million individuals receive consistent treatment to manage the disease. Incidences affiliated with the ailment indicate an increment as individual progresses in age. However, people below the age of 50 years depicted the prevalence of the illness at a rate of 4% (Parkinson.org, n.d.) . The likelihood of men succumbing to PD-related symptoms is higher by 1.5 times in comparison to their female counterparts. The current paper aims at evaluating the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease, its symptoms and appropriate remedies.
Clinical Presentation and Symptomology
Initially, Parkinson’s disease presents itself by reducing the efficiency of a person's olfactory function. As a result, detecting smells becomes harder. The patient's rapid eye movement indicates the advent of the disease is often featuring kicking motions as they sleep. Motor-related symptoms become evident in overtime. TRAP connotes the acronym relating to PD’s cardinal features (Mayoclinic.org, n.d.). It relates to Tremor while resting, Rigidity, Akinesia in addition to Postural instability. Patients also highlight the prevalence of motor blocks.
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Patients report tremors which commences from respective limbs. Target areas include the hands or even fingers. In most cases, individuals highlight the prevalence of pill-rolling tremors which manifest in the form of rubbing forefingers and respective thumbs. Furthermore, movement becomes slower a condition commonly known as bradykinesia. As a result, simple tasks attract numerous difficulties for their completion often consuming a lot of time.
Individuals depicting the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease complain of muscle rigidity. They experience stiffness in various body parts. The scenario can result in pain often limiting a person’s motion. The Hoehn coupled with the Yahr scale facilitates an evaluation to understand the disease’s progression (Sveinbjornsdottir, 2016). The posture becomes affected whereby the patient stoops when taking a stroll while underscoring some challenges with regards to achieving the appropriate balance. In addition, unconscious movements become difficult for those affected particularly. They include smiling or even blinking.
The disease modifies a person's speech. In such circumstances, they indicate a tendency to speak softly or quickly. Moreover, an individual develops a slur or in some cases hesitate before engaging in conversations. Written communication also changes where the letters used appear smaller.
Pathophysiology Down to the Cellular Level
Parkinson's disease primarily affects the basal ganglia . Dopaminergic neurons indicate some progressive losses particularly those affiliated with the pars compacta which formulates the substantia nigra . PD’s pathogenesis culminates in processes that lead to inflammation. The areas afflicted by the loss of cells indicate the presence of activated microglia and reactive astrocytes . Their involvement further compounds the process through inflammation which occurs as they release cytokines (Reichmann,Brandt & Klingelhoefer, 2016) . In other instances, they facilitate the accumulation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins into the respective body parts. Microglia and their counterparts the astrocytes also released oxygen species which indicated and extensive capacity to react. However, they depict a propensity to mediate properties which underscores some neuroprotective inclination by releasing trophic factors. The achievement of similar results also permeates circumstances where glutamate is taken up.
Standard and Recommended Treatments
The ailment portends difficulties owing to the limitations which transcend the possibility of curing it completely. However, the administration of appropriate medications controls the prevalent symptoms (Zirek et al., 2018) . Advanced cases, often call for surgery. In most cases, medical practitioners recommend a modification to an individual's lifestyle with a particular emphasis on aerobic exercises. Physical therapy which incorporates balance in addition to stretching accounts for most of the recommendations made. Overcoming speech problems mandates the involvement of a pathologist specializing in speech-language.
Doctors often prescribe various medications. They include Carbidopa-levodopa which contains the natural chemical levodopa. After accessing the brain, it undergoes conversion to release dopamine. Its combination with Lodosyn reduces the prevalence of nausea. Patients also received an infusion of Carbidopa-levodopa comprising of Duop a. Its administration mandates the utilization of some feeding tubes targeting an individual's small intestine while assuming the form of a gel. Dopamine agonists mimic the effects anticipated from dopamine in an individual's brain (Mayoclinic.org, n.d.) . Its intake by a patient levels out the effects attributable to Levodopa albeit an overall reduced effectiveness. Inhibitors under the MAO B category include Selegiline as well as Rasagiline . Their ingestion by patients guarantees the metabolisation of dopamine in the brain. Prescriptions such as Entacapone ascertain that the effects attributable to Levodopa therapy are effectively prolonged. Patients also receive anticholinergics as well as amantadine. Anticholinergics control tremors affiliated with Parkinson's disease. The drugs included under this category are Benztropine in addition to Trihexyphenidyl . In comparison, Amantadine provides some relief where the symptoms involved are mild for a short duration.
Conclusion
Medical practitioners consistently insist that the fatalities associated with Parkinson's disease underscore some limitation. However, the diagnosis which patients undergo commonly features numerous life-changing aspects. Moreover, the process often encompasses some difficulties relating to the provision of accurate diagnosis. Inadequate training portends difficulties where doctors are to identify the initial symptoms associated with the ailment. Client suffering from PD must liaise with specialists dealing with movement disorders to determine some of the appropriate measures applicable in ensuring that the disease becomes manageable.
References
Mayoclinic.org. (n.d.). Parkinson's disease: Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic . Retrieved on 29 March 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055
Parkinson.org. (n.d.). Parkinson's Foundation: Better Lives. Together. Retrieved on 29 March 2019, from https://parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Statistics
Reichmann, H., Brandt, M. D., & Klingelhoefer, L. (2016). The nonmotor features of Parkinson's disease: pathophysiology and management advances. Current opinion in neurology , 29 (4), 467-473.
Sveinbjornsdottir, S. (2016). The clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Journal of neurochemistry , 139 , 318-324.
Zirek, E., Huseyinsinoglu, B. E., Tufekcioglu, Z., Bilgic, B., & Hanagasi, H. (2018). Which cognitive dual-task walking causes most interference on the Timed Up and Go test in Parkinson’s disease: a controlled study? Neurological Sciences , 39 (12), 2151-2157.
