What are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease involves disorders affecting the functioning of a structure in the central nervous system that controls normal human motor functions. It is therefore unsurprising that the primary symptoms of this condition are movement disorders accompanied by characteristic limb tremors.
At first, the symptoms take the form of slight slowness or a lack of grace in the patient’s movements, which we often mistakenly perceive simply as part of the progressive ageing process. Changes in handwriting may also occur – people with Parkinson’s tend to develop so-called micrographia, meaning the gradual reduction in the size of letters while writing, which ultimately makes the handwriting increasingly difficult to read. As the disease progresses, increasingly frequent balance disorders and problems performing many everyday activities also appear. Before the full manifestation of the disease develops, early symptoms such as tingling in the limbs or personality changes very often occur.
How is Parkinson’s disease treated?
Despite extensive research into Parkinson’s disease, it has not yet been possible to determine exactly what causes the pathological changes in the brain. The development of these disorders may be associated with both genetic and environmental factors. For this reason, there is no single effective treatment pathway for Parkinson’s disease that could guarantee the patient a complete cure. Nevertheless, this does not mean that no treatment is provided for this condition.
Above all, people with Parkinson’s should remain under the constant care of a neurologist in order to continuously monitor the course and progression of the disease. Treatment for Parkinson’s disease very often proceeds in several different directions and consists of pharmacological and rehabilitative treatment, and sometimes even surgery.
Pharmacological treatment is the basis of therapy and is introduced at the very beginning of the disease. The most effective drug used for Parkinson’s disease is levodopa, which alleviates symptoms such as increased muscle tension, slowness of movement and limb tremors. The group of drugs that imitate the effects of dopamine, known as dopamine agonists, is also used in the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Medications such as entacapone, tolcapone and amantadine are also used as adjuncts; they reduce the breakdown of levodopa and counteract the side effects of this medication. Rehabilitative treatment should be introduced soon after the disease is diagnosed in order to avoid consequences such as falls or patient immobilisation in the future. Surgical treatment, on the other hand, is considered only as a last resort and in an advanced stage of the disease.
What is the prognosis for Parkinson’s disease?
Unfortunately, not all symptoms can be effectively alleviated with medication – hand tremors prove resistant to treatment in as many as 30% of patients, while balance disorders generally cannot be prevented at all through pharmacological treatment. In an advanced stage of the disease, the patient’s slurred speech also does not improve. Nevertheless, early detection of the disease, appropriate treatment and following all the doctor’s recommendations produce good results and do not force the patient to give up everyday activities for many years. New solutions for people with Parkinson’s are also being continuously sought, giving patients hope for a better future.