Parkinsons is a condition where the human body slowly starts to develop symptoms that restrict movement. The disease was named so because of an early English doctor, James Parkinson, whose papers on the subject provided valuable knowledge about the disease.
James Parkinson’s essay published in 1817 played a vital role in helping doctors understand the condition. He shed light on the various movement restrictive effects that Parkinson’s could have and the symptoms that patients affected with the disease have shown. His work went a long way in the treatment of this disease as well.
Parkinson’s is a very common disease and has affected around 7-10 million people worldwide. Neuroscientists around the globe are actively working to find better treatment methods for this condition.
Parkinson’s Disease: Overview
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects countless individuals across the world. The disease affects certain dopamine-producing regions of the brain. It targets these neurons, and this, in turn, affects the patient’s motor skills and limbs. The disease gets worse as the patient grows older.
Moreover, if the patient has had Parkinson’s for a long time, the symptoms only grow worse with time. Patients usually exhibit minor symptoms when they first get diagnosed with the disease. These signs are very hard to notice, which sometimes delays treatment as the patient does not know that symptoms have started to show.
Causes Of Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s develop from a complex mix of both genetic and environmental factors. Most individuals who end up with the disease are said to have a first-degree relative who also had the same condition.
Life-Changing Treatments Available
Parkinson’s, unfortunately, is a non-curable disease, and there is no complete cure or treatment of the illness as of now. However, the condition can be treated to an extent to control the symptoms. According to the best neurologist in Mumbai, the various methods of treatment include:
- Medication
Medication for Parkinson’s is primarily through dopamine precursors. The disease targets mainly dopamine-producing regions of the brain. Therefore, in many cases, dopamine is injected into the brain and acts as a medication for Parkinson’s. Dopamine agonists act on the dopamine receptors in the brain and help to manage the disease.
Parkinsons is hard to live with; however, these medications help make it bearable for the patients.
- Procedures
Several procedures are available to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s. If performed by the best neurologist in Mumbai, they can be beneficial to the patients and alleviate the symptoms as much as possible.
- Deep brain stimulations are done to treat symptoms like stiffness, slow movement, rigidity, and walking problems.
- Another procedure is to insert a tube into the intestine to administer the drug. This procedure requires surgery; however, it does help treat movement disorders.
- Thalamotomy is the procedure that treats the thalamus to restrict movement disorders and prevent the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
- The last procedure available to treat Parkinson’s’ is pallidotomy, a surgical procedure that destroys a small section of the brain known as the globus pallidus. The globus pallidus is mainly responsible for the symptoms that a patient who has Parkinson’s goes through.
- Therapy
Therapy can be immensely beneficial to the patients, especially in the early stages when movement is not restricted too much.
Physical therapy is an excellent treatment for Parkinson’s. Studies by the best neurologist in Mumbai have proven that therapy helps with movement and tests and develops the patient’s motor skills. In addition, changes to the patient’s daily life activities in the early stages have also been proven to improve movement and motor skills.
- Self Care
Taking good care of personal health, taking time off, and focusing on the patient’s physical and mental strength will help relax the patient. Their state of mind and mental integrity is vitally important in the treatment and boosts their chances of survival immensely.
Many top neurologists always recommend patients exercise regularly to help increase dopamine flow to the brain to counter the effects of the disease. This also helps change the patient’s outlook and keeps them in a good mental state.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, people who have Parkinson’s and their loved ones might be discouraged because there is no complete cure for this disease at the end of the day. However, you should not lose your hope since there are treatments to relieve the symptoms, if not end them.
Patients in the early stages may not even notice the slight restrictions in movement and tremors. Yet, it’s essential to avail of the treatments mentioned above to control the condition as much as possible. After all, the most significant way to combat Parkinson’s is to stay positive and have a healthy lifestyle.
If you’re looking for the best neurologist in Mumbai for this condition, it is suggested to consult doctors at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital. Their hospitals are known for their highly qualified experts and doctors, supported with robust technology to facilitate the treatments. Also, check our other blogs
