April: Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month – PParkinson’s Explained

Parkinson’s is a complex disease that progresses over the years, and to date, has no cure. It is a neurodegenerative disease that wreaks havoc on the brain, which in turn interferes with the body’s fine motor skills. The brain’s neurons (nerve cells) are what create dopamine and the deterioration of this process is the cause of Parkinson’s disease.

In Parkinson’s patients, the dopamine chemical production is slowed down and over time it can be completely diminished. Some of the first symptoms of early Parkinson’s’ disease are impaired sense of smell, constipation and sleep disorders. These early signs are found in the medulla and the enteric region of the brain. Some patients will have diminished voices, develop rigid muscles and show little to no expression on their faces within the middle stages of the disease.

As the disease progresses, it eventually reaches the substantia nigra region of the brain, which controls the bodies movements. Once this stage is reached, patients have a difficult time controlling their bodily functions, and they develop tremors and have jarring irrepressible movements.

Treatment Options
There are some speculations that natural remedies will help alleviate some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s, like omega 3 and coconut oil, but the research is not conclusive of that fact. And because there is no cure, the main treatments are given through traditional pharmaceutical medications, which are available to slow down the diseases development. Many of these drugs increase the dopamine in the brain, and in some cases, replaces the dopamine altogether.

Along with medication management, physical therapy for balance and stretching is helpful. Speech pathology is also very effective in maintaining and improving speech related issues that the disease so commonly causes. In advanced cases there is the option for surgery. Surgical deep brain stimulation has proven to be highly effective in repairing some of the communication in the brain and body through electrical stimulation. In this case a small device is placed in the chest and can be controlled by your physician.

Each year, doctors diagnose 60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease (PD). With advances in pharmacology and surgery giving PD patients longer lives and increased motor function, interventions to prepare family caregivers, empower patients in their daily lives, and improve patient peace of mind become more involved. While many patients live more than 20 years after the diagnosis, the median survival has been measured at 12 years.1 The speed of progression underscores the value of that time and the importance of promoting quality of life during this important time of life. It’s obvious but noteworthy that Parkinson’s is more than a nigrostriatal disorder. While dopaminergic therapy improves rigidity, tremor, and bradykinesia, other symptoms do not respond. These include hypersomnolence, imbalance, dysphagia, dysarthria, and autonomic failure. Most notably, this includes cognitive decline, dementia, and drug-related hallucinations. These latter symptoms create the most concern for families. In Parkinson’s, these symptoms progress more rapidly with age.

Getting The Help You Need
Unfortunately, when the elderly are stuck dealing with the degenerative effects of Parkinson’s disease, it can be extremely taxing on their quality of life. It’s quite common that those suffering with this disorder rely on external help for basic needs, as well as medical requirements. That is where home health care can be so beneficial to the individual as well as the caregiver.

At Maison Healthcare, we provide the highest quality of compassionate and empathic home care assistance services in the region. We provide our team of experienced caregivers with home care facilities for the elderly, seniors, and older adults.

All our caregivers are professional, trained, and experienced in providing home care assistance. We use advanced techniques to ensure that your elderly loved one gets proper nutrition, enough physical exercise along with intellectual stimulation, socialization enhancing the overall quality of life for the elderly.

Here are a few points to ponder on and/or questions to ask to your doctors.
• How definitive is my diagnosis and how are we confirming it?
• Is a DAT scan always necessary to diagnose PD?
• How often and how easy it is for a DAT scan to be technically limited or misread? Can DAT scan differentiate PD from the so called “imitators” of PD?
• I have tremor in both hands, how can it be established that it is PD and not Essential Tremor (ET)?
• I am being treated with more than one drug for PD, however, my symptoms don’t seem to improve… Why?
• Levodopa remains the most effective symptomatic drug for PD. What are the advantages of the newer formulations over the standard IR preparations?
• Is there effective medical treatment for “early PD?”
• Who is a candidate for deep brain stimulation (DBS) as part of the treatment for PD? When or how early can surgery be performed to treat PD?
• “My medication does not last long enough. Is there something that can be done?”
• Is there scientific evidence to support the use of marijuana as treatment for PD?
• I have heard about “non motor symptoms of PD.” Which ones are the most common and are they treatable?

References:
1. Hely M, Reid W, Adena M, et al. The Sydney Multicenter Study of Parkinson’s Disease: The inevitability of dementia at 20 years. Movement Disorders. 2008; 23 (6): 837-844.

We provide hourly care and in-home 24-hour care for your loved ones. Get in touch with us now to learn more.\

Maison Healthcare
833-614-8606
www.maisonhealthcare.com
6621 Willow Park Dr Ste 2, Naples FL 34109
AHCA License #: HHA 299995190