What is Parkinson’s disease?

PD is a brain disorder that causes a plethora of both physical and psychological symptoms.

 

Physical symptoms include: 

  • Tremors 
  • Stiffness 
  • Urinary issues 
  • Skin issues 

 

Psychological symptoms include: 

  • Depression – usually caused by their new dependence of others.
  • Emotional changes – fearfulness, insecurities, irritability, and pessimistic views. 
  • Dementia – slow thinking, memory problems, social judgement, language, and reasoning skills. 
  • In some cases there are psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. 

 

Common symptoms prior to stiffness/tremors: 

  • Sleep problems
  • Loss of smell
  • Restless legs
  • Bowel movement issues. 

 

What causes PD? 

PD is caused by: 

  • The impaired or dead nerve cells in the basal ganglia, the portion of your brain that controls your body’s movement. 
    • The dead/impaired neurons produce less dopamine thus causing the associated complications.
  • The presence of Lewy Bodies — abnormal protein particles — in parts of the brain experiencing this neuronal loss also contribute to severity of the disease.

 

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