“Parkinson’s disease” is another common disease found in the elderly, which often prominently shows symptoms of “tremor” leading to its familiar nickname among Thais as “bird’s nest disease”. It is a disease caused by the degeneration of nerve cells in the brainstem, resulting in decreased production of dopamine (Dopamine), which is crucial for controlling the motor system, especially muscle control. This leads to symptoms of tremor and muscle stiffness, commonly found in people aged 50 and above, and it is one of the diseases that can be inherited genetically.
Not just tremor, Parkinson’s also causes…
The lack of dopamine also results in reduced efficiency of body movements and decreased cognitive function. People with Parkinson’s disease may experience reduced sense of smell, poor balance, slow movements, 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 as follows:
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 less smooth, with stooped posture or walking with a bent body leaning forward.
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 movements are slower than before.
Stage 5: Muscle stiffness worsens to the point where the patient cannot help themselves, cannot move the body, hands and feet become clawed, swallowing control is lost, making it impossible to eat, increasing the risk of complications.
Clear distinction! This kind of tremor: true Parkinson’s or fake?
Tremor is not only caused by Parkinson’s disease but can also occur for unknown reasons, possibly due to genetics, brain diseases, hyperthyroidism, infections, and the use of 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 or fake Parkinson’s” through CT SCAN or MRI of the brain, as well as deep brain function scans like 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 may not be as dangerous or frightening as other progressive diseases, but Parkinson’s disease does reduce 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 if medication over a period does not improve symptoms. Doctors may recommend implanting an electrical stimulator to activate 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.