“Parkinson’s” is another common disease found in the elderly, which often prominently shows symptoms of “tremor” and is commonly referred to by Thai people as “bird-pecking disease”. It is a disease caused by the degeneration of nerve cells in the brainstem, leading to a decrease in the production of dopamine (Dopamine), which is essential for controlling the motor system, especially muscle control. This results in symptoms of tremor and muscle stiffness, usually found in people aged 50 and above, and it is one of the diseases that can be inherited genetically.
Not just tremor, but Parkinson’s also causes…
The lack of dopamine also affects the body’s movement efficiency and reduces cognitive function. People with Parkinson’s may experience a reduced sense of smell, poor balance, slow movement, difficulty moving, stooped posture, and dopamine also plays an important role in controlling emotions. Parkinson’s patients may suffer from depression, insomnia, anxiety, or may shout and move their limbs violently during sleep.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s are divided into 5 stages:
Stage 1: Tremor occurs when resting or not using one side of the body, often accompanied by muscle pain.
Stage 2: Tremor spreads to the other side of the body, movement becomes inconvenient, with a stooped back or walking with a forward bend.
Stage 3: Difficulty maintaining balance and standing up, with a high risk of falls.
Stage 4: Tremor decreases, but muscles become stiff and rigid, eating becomes difficult, and movement slows down.
Stage 5: Muscle stiffness worsens to the point where the patient cannot help themselves, cannot move, hands and feet become clawed, swallowing control is lost, making it impossible to eat, increasing the risk of complications.
Clear distinction! Is this tremor true Parkinson’s or pseudo Parkinson’s?
Tremor is not only caused by Parkinson’s but can also occur for unknown reasons, possibly genetic, or due to brain diseases, hyperthyroidism, infections, and certain medications such as anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and bronchodilators. Therefore, if tremor symptoms begin, do not ignore them. It is important to determine whether the tremor is “true Parkinson’s or pseudo Parkinson’s” through CT SCAN or MRI of the brain, as well as deep brain function scans F-DOPA PET Scan which can help detect abnormalities in dopamine levels in the brain.
How dangerous is Parkinson’s disease?
In terms of the disease itself, it is not as dangerous or frightening as other progressive diseases, but Parkinson’s significantly reduces quality of life, both physically and mentally. Importantly, there is currently no cure, but symptoms can be managed and controlled to improve the patient’s quality of life.
How to treat to reduce severity
- Medication treatment involves using drugs to enhance or balance dopamine activity in the brain, which helps slow down and reduce symptom severity but cannot restore the degenerated brain cells to normal.
- Exercise treatment including physical therapy Once medication helps balance dopamine, patients should also exercise to restore physical function, such as walking, cycling, rhythmic dancing and Tai Chi
- Deep brain stimulation surgery (Deep Brain Stimulation, DBS) is considered when medication has been used for a period without improvement. Doctors may recommend implanting an electrical stimulator to stimulate brain areas related to Parkinson’s disease. This method is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European authorities. The surgery helps stabilize medication effects, reduce dyskinesia, and most patients can reduce their Parkinson’s medication dosage by more than 50%. However, surgery only controls symptoms and is not a cure for the disease.