Stages of Parkinson’s: why patients should seek medical attention as soon as possible?

Specific Purpose : To educate the audience about the five stages of Parkinson’s disease 

I. INTRODUCTION 

a) Attention seeker 

Parkinson’s disease is usually associated with the elderly, yet statistics show that at least 1 in 20 people is diagnosed with Parkinson’s under the age of 40. Parkinson’s is a degenerative disorder that affects movement; it is caused by loss of brain cells in the substantia nigra. 

b) Statistics 

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation (2018), approximately one million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The risk of PD increases with age, but men are 1.5 times more likely to have Parkinson’s disease in comparison to women. 

c) Purpose 

Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder. It is hard to detect in the early stages, but at the last stages, Parkinson’s severely affects one’s ability to move. The purpose of this outline is to explore the five stages of Parkinson’s. 

d) Thesis 

There is no cure for Parkinson’s, but when detected in its early stages, the physician can use medication or surgery to improve the symptoms. 

Transition: Now that we have introduced the topic, let us go to the stages of Parkinson’s. 

II. BODY 

a) Stage One 

According to Mamalyga (2017), the first stage of Parkinson’s comes with mild symptoms on one side such as tremors on one hand or rigidity in one leg. The symptoms have minimal or no functional impairment such that an individual will not seek medical attention. The first stage is also difficult to diagnose, and in most cases, physicians wait to see if the symptoms will get worse with time. 

b) Stage Two 

In the second stage, both sides of the body are affected by the tremors or rigidity, and they are slightly worse. An individual will have problems with posture and walk, but this will not stop them from doing things for themselves. Stage 2 can develop months or years after the first stage, and some of the symptoms include decreased blinking, loss of facial expression, monotone voice, stooped posture and general slowness. Diagnosis is easy at the second stage if the patient has tremor. 

c) Stage Three 

The third stage is the mid-stage of Parkinson’s. The main symptoms at this stage are the loss of balance and slowness such that one cannot make rapid and involuntary adjustments to prevent falls. All the symptoms of Parkinson’s from the previous staged are also present at this stage, making it easy for physicians to make a diagnosis. To diagnose Parkinson’s at the mid-stage, a physician stands behind the patient and gently pulls the shoulders to check if the patient can maintain balance or the patient will fall backward. Despite the severe symptoms, patients can still carry out daily living activities (Millage et al., 2017). 

d) Stage Four 

At this stage, the condition has progressed severely. The patient is noticeably incapacitated at this point, even though the patient may be able to walk and stand without assistance. Many patients with stage four PD use walkers and they need help with daily living activities. 

e) Stage Five 

Stage five is the most advanced stage whereby a patient cannot rise from a chair or get out of bed without help. Patients tend to fall when they try to stand or turn, and they need round the clock care. At this stage, patients may suffer from delusions or hallucinations. 

III. CONCLUSION 

a) Summary 

Patients with Parkinson’s get worse with time. Millage et al. (2017) states that not all PD patients reach stage five, and the period of progression differs among individuals. Regardless, PD gets worse with time, and it limits one's ability to live independently. 

b) Concluding Remark 

Patients should seek medical attention as early as possible to manage symptoms and to delay the progression of the disease. 

References 

Mamalyga, M. L., & Mamalyga, L. M. (2017). Influence of Presymptomatic and Symptomatic Stages Of Parkinson's Disease And Its Treatment Upon Changes Of Variability Of Cardiac Rhythm.  Romanian Journal of Neurology ,  16 (1). 

Millage, B., Vesey, E., Finkelstein, M., & Anheluk, M. (2017). Effect on Gait Speed, Balance, Motor Symptom Rating, and Quality of Life in Those with Stage I Parkinson’s Disease Utilizing LSVT BIG®.  Rehabilitation research and practice ,  2017 . 

Parkinson’s Foundation. (2018). what is Parkinson’s? Causes and Statistics. 

Retrieved from: http://parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Causes-and- Statistics/Statistics