The Severity Of Parkinson s Disease - 1810 Words

Muhamad Ali, Michael J. Fox, and Linda Ronstadt are just a few celebrities that have been diagnosed with a disease called Parkinson’s. Most people have heard the name of this disease but do not exactly know what it is. Although it is not well known, it is a very common neurodegenerative disease. Much of the information about Parkinson’s is not prominent, although the disease is the second most common of its kind, next to Alzheimer’s (Surguchov, 2013, p.116). The disease can be debilitating if not treated properly. Because PD is such a real issue, efforts to research its cause and treatment have been extensive and continue to be. Only one medication known to ease the suffering of its victims has been found effective thus far (Surguchov,†¦show more content†¦Symptom severity varies person-to-person and early signs sometimes go unnoticed. Usually the symptoms will begin unilaterally and eventually progress to both sides, with the original side remaining w orse (Tagliati, 2007). People with PD also have a slumped posture with an abnormally slow gait with shuffling feet. They also may suffer from an issue called freezing. Freezing causes the person to be frozen in place involuntarily for a moment (National Parkinson’s Foundation). Because Parkinson’s causes bradykinesia, or slowing in motion, everyday task take more energy and time to complete. Tasks that seem simple to the healthy individual like getting out of bed is an accomplishment to those suffering with this disease. Not only does Parkinson’s take away your ability to control your muscles, it also affects the control of your mind. These non-motor symptoms cause disabilities as well as lower the health-related quality of life for patients who are affected (Chaudhuri, 2011). Developing neuropsychiatric and other non-motor symptoms is not uncommon. Depression, anxiety, reduced cognitive function, insomnia, fatigue, and autonomic disturbances have been found in these patients (Poewe). Dementia is another major concern when dealing with Parkinson’s patients. The incidence of dementia occurring is close to eighty percent (Parkinson’s, 2010). Risk factors for the development of dementia include