Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access

Complications and Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Amnie Kammoun^{* *}Correspondence: Amnie Kammoun, Department of Psychology, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt, Email:

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Description

In Parkinson's disease, certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually deteriorate or die. Many of the symptoms are caused by the loss of neurons in the brain that produce a chemical messenger called dopamine. Decreased dopamine levels trigger atypical brain activity, leading to movement limitations and other symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown, but several factors, including genetic and environmental triggers, appear to play a role. Some of the risk factors for Parkinson's disease include age, genetics, sex, and exposure to toxins. The four stages of Parkinson's disease are stage 1: Non-motor aspects of everyday life experience. This section focuses on non-motor (no movement) conditions such as dementia, depression, anxiety, and other issues related to mental health and mental ability. It also deals about pain, constipation, incontinence, fatigue, etc. Stage 2: Motor aspects of everyday experiences. This section describes about movement-related tasks and their impact on performance. It covers abilities such as speaking, eating, chewing, swallowing, dressing, and bathing by themselves if the person has tremors (shivering) or more. Stage 3: Motor examination. Health care providers use this section to determine the movement related effects of Parkinson's disease. This criteria measures effectiveness based on speech, facial expressions, stiffness, walking gait and speed, balance, speed of movement, tremors, and more. Stage 4: Motor complications. In this section, the health care provider will determine how much impact does the Parkinson's symptoms are affecting the person’s life. This includes both how long for each day the person have certain symptoms and whether those symptoms affect how the person utilise their time.

The signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease are different for each person. Early signs may be mild and can be unnoticed. Some of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease are, tremor which is otherwise called as rhythmic shaking usually begins in the limb, often in the hands and fingers. The person may rub their thumb and index finger back and forth which is called pill rolling tremor. Hands may get tremble while at rest. The tremors may decrease while the person is working. Slowed movement (bradykinesia) is which by over time Parkinson's disease slows down the movement, and makes simple tasks difficult which takes more time. Getting up from a chair can be difficult. Attempts to walk may result in limping or shuffling. Rigid muscles which causes muscle stiffness can occur in any part of the body. Tight muscles are painful and limit the range of motion. In posture and balance disorder the posture may be stooped, or the person may fall or have balance problems because of the result of Parkinson's disease. Loss of automatic movements in which the person may have a reduced ability to make involuntary movements, such as blinking, smiling, or swinging arms while walking. The speech may change so that the person may speak softly, quickly, slurred, or hesitate before speaking. The speech may be more monotonous than the normal speech pattern. The writing changes as it becomes difficult to write and characters may look small. Additional motor symptoms may include, less blinking than usual, drooling, mask-like facial expressions, difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), abnormally low vocalization (hypophonia).

Complications

Parkinson's disease is often accompanied by additional treatable problems like thinking difficulties, depression, and mood changes. The person may also experience other emotional changes such as fear, anxiety, and loss of motivation. Health care providers can prescribe medications to treat symptoms such as swallowing, chewing, and eating problems, sleep problems, and sleep disorders. People may also suffer from rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, which involves realizing dreams. Medications can improve sleep, bladder problems, constipation, and more. They may also experience changes in blood pressure changes, dysfunction of smell, fatigue, pain, and sexual dysfunction.

Treatment

As the cause of Parkinson's disease is not known, there are no proven ways to prevent the disease. Some studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Some other research has also shown that the people who consume caffeine associated drinks like coffee, tea and cola will be less often to be affected by Parkinson's disease than those who don't drink it. Green tea is also associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. However, it is not yet known whether caffeine prevents or is associated with getting Parkinson's disease. Currently, there is insufficient evidence that drinking caffeinated beverages can prevent Parkinson's disease.

Conclusion

There are currently no blood or laboratory tests to diagnose nonhereditary cases of Parkinson's disease. Doctors usually diagnose the disorder by taking the medical history of the person and doing a neurological examination. If the person starts to take the medication and after if the symptoms improve, then it is another sign that the person has Parkinson's disease.