Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological condition that can appear during one’s senior years. Its progression occurs in the dark matter of the brain, where it gradually affects movement, balance and cognitive health.
Early symptoms, including a tremor or softened, slurred speech, may be dismissed as a natural result of aging. However, these concerns can compound and eventually impact safety, the ability to communicate, and overall quality of life.
Presentation and progression greatly vary across patients, so it’s important to bring these symptoms to your doctor’s attention when they first appear. The earlier Parkinson’s disease is identified, the sooner your care plan can introduce targeted adaptations, lifestyle changes, and medication therapies.
What Do I Need to Know About Parkinson’s Disease?
The second-most-common degenerative brain disorder, Parkinson’s disease is estimated to affect roughly one percent of the world’s population age 60 and over, including about one million Americans. Genetic factors also mean that younger individuals, sometimes as early as their 20s, may develop symptoms.
While Parkinson’s disease presents in the substantia nigra region of the brain, its effects span the whole body to influence balance, muscle control, sensory perception, cognitive processing, mental health and even blood pressure:
- Cells in the substantia nigra, part of the basal ganglia, gradually decrease with age. For Parkinson’s patients, this process accelerates at a significantly faster pace.
- Changes to this region alter dopamine levels and travel paths. Since this neurotransmitter plays a role in muscle movement and pleasure sensations, the earliest manifestations of Parkinson’s are often a blank facial expression, twitching muscles or stiff motions.
- The brain also displays an increase in Lewy bodies and alpha-synuclein proteins. In later stages of Parkinson’s disease, these characteristics are also present in the spinal fluid.
- Damage to the mitochondria in remaining cells can decrease energy levels and slow neurological processes. Norepinephrine may also decline, leading to changes in blood pressure and mood.
- As this pattern grows, patients with late-stage Parkinson’s may appear to have dementia.
- Insufficiently treated Parkinson’s can impact how one walks, socializes, dresses, bathes, feeds themselves and interacts with their environment.
What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?
Researchers have determined two major causes of Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
Parkinson’s Linked to Genetics
Parents can pass down genetic markers for Parkinson’s, with presentation influenced by dominant and recessive characteristics. Genetic factors can determine when, how and the pace at which the disease progresses.
Currently, an estimated 10 to 20 percent of Parkinson’s cases can be traced back to genes alone or in conjunction with environmental factors.
Parkinson’s Linked to Environmental Factors
Several exposures over a person’s lifetime can contribute to the cellular damage and protein proliferation that defines Parkinson’s disease. They include:
- Pesticide and herbicide exposure through air and water sources
- Medications with Parkinson’s-like side effects
- Illegal drug use
- Agent Orange, a chemical used during the Vietnam War
- Heavy metals
- Detergents and solvents
- Carbon monoxide
- Welding fumes
Certain head injuries are also connected with Parkinson’s symptoms, including:
- Inflammation of the brain, also known as encephalitis
- Athletic injuries
- Concussions
- Post-traumatic brain injuries
What Are the Risk Factors for Parkinson’s Disease?
Individuals have an elevated risk of Parkinson’s disease if they:
- Are over age 60
- Have a parent or sibling with Parkinson’s
- Are male
- Were regularly exposed to pesticides and herbicides
What Are the Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?
Because Parkinson’s symptoms overlap with other disorders and age-related changes, diagnosis is often a process of elimination.
The following symptoms can appear at various stages, intensifying over time:
- Tremors that affect the foot, jaw or hand
- Slower, stiffer movements that eventually affect how you stand or make facial expressions
- Slower, if not absent, blinking movements
- Stiff, rigid arms
- A stooped posture
- Balance issues leading to one or more falls
- Slower, slurred or monotone speech
- Smaller, cramped handwriting
- Gait changes
- Depression and anxiety
- Constipation
- Sleep changes such as restless leg syndrome
- Incontinence
- Difficulty with sense of smell
- Memory and processing changes
- Drooling
- Low blood pressure after standing up
- Intense fatigue
- Gastrointestinal issues
For many Parkinson’s patients, symptoms start on one side of the body before they gradually develop on the other. Disease presentation may also be uneven.
What Complications Can Parkinson’s Disease Lead To?
The progression of Parkinson’s may result in such complications as:
- Impaired memory and thinking
- Irritability and depression
- Difficulty chewing and swallowing
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Inconsistent sleep patterns and fatigue
- Bladder issues
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Chronic pain
- Loss of smell
How Can You Get Help for Parkinson’s Disease?
Various imaging scans and medical tests can help your doctor identify signs of Parkinson’s and recommend the following therapies:
- Lifestyle Changes: Physical activity and consuming more caffeine are linked to a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.
- Medications: Starting levodopa, a medication that increases dopamine production to slow early-stage Parkinson’s symptoms.
- Brain Stimulation: This experimental therapy, delivered through an implanted device, helps stimulate areas of the brain with damaged or declining cells.
Concerned about yourself or a loved one with Parkinson’s disease? The experienced team at West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation Center provides a safe, supportive environment to manage all stages. Explore our services or contact us today to understand your options.