Recently Amar had to admit his father to the hospital. Reason being, his 70 year old father had taken a nasty fall, during one of his morning walks. But this wasn’t the first time that Amar’s father had taken a tumble! The past few months had seen him being rushed to the doctor for similar falls, obviously Amar was distressed about his father’s regular falling habit. What was first being dismissed as ‘clumsiness’ in his old father, soon revealed itself to be Parkinson’s disease!
After speaking to the doctor, Amar realized that there had been many a tell tale signs that his father had unknowingly showcased! Had he known about these symptoms of Parkinson’s, his father would not be in the hospital today with a broken hip bone from a nasty fall!
So what is Parkinson’s?
Parkinson’s is named after James Parkinson, a medical practitioner, who discovered the disease in 1817. Parkinson’s is the central nervous systems degenerative disorder, often affecting the older age group from 65 years of age onwards. It is basically a neurological disorder that affects balance, movements and muscle control in the affected individual due to a lack of Dopamine(neurotransmitters) producing cells in the brain!
Our parents are at a greater risk of being affected by Parkinson’s as age is the primary reason for the demise of Dopamine, producing cells in one’s brain! Other reasons for this could be the demise of dopamine producing cells due to environmental toxins, free radicals present in the air that we breathe and drug abuse in the past! Many, fear that Parkinson’s might be hereditary but it is not so, instead having a parent suffering from the disease just increases your risk marginally.
How do I know if my parent is suffering from Parkinson’s?
Even though Parkinson’s is a chronic progressive degenerative disorder and takes around 20 years to fully progress, it does showcase some common symptoms which can helps us identify it early on! Following are some common symptoms which will help you identify whether or not your parent is suffering from Parkinson’s
Tremors: Parkinson’s disease affects the individual’s central nervous system, which helps him control his muscles. With a lack of Dopamine’s, our parents lose their control over their muscles and begin to experience mild tremors or shaking in their hands, arms or legs. As, the disease advances, these tremors become more visible and intense, especially when they are standing still or sitting still, and tend to subside when they move the affected part!
For a clear cut sign of Parkinson’s, look out if your parents are doing the pill-roll with their fingers. Pill rolling occurs when the thumb and the fore finger are being rubbed back and forth by your parent continuously for a longer period of time.
Change in Posture: There will be a marked change in the posture of your parent, with their backs stooping a lot, if they suffer from Parkinson.
Slow limited movement: Parkinson’s will curb your parent’s movements reducing their movements to being slow and limited. They will have considerable difficulty in getting up from a resting position, for e.g. they may face difficulty while getting out of a chair they are sitting in, or for turning while lying in a bed.
Stiff, rigid and aching muscles: A common symptom of Parkinson’s showcased early on will be a reduced swing in one arm of the parent whilst walking. This is caused by muscles, affected by Parkinson’s, which become rigid or stiff. Your parents will also complain about unexplained muscle aches in their legs, neck, face and other parts of their bodies, which is again a result of their stiff muscles!
Weakness of facial and throat muscles: Another common symptom of Parkinson’s is the weakening of facial and throat muscles. This makes talking and swallowing difficult for them, leading them to cough, drool and in some cases choke too! Weakening of facial muscles also reduces the occurrence of unconscious acts such as smiling and blinking in a person, this leads to a vacant look on the person’s face and is known as the ‘Parkinson’s Mask’. Speech also gets affected by the weakening of throat muscles; you’ll find that you’re parents have developed a softer and monotonous tone of talking.
Difficulty in walking and maintain balance: 
If you find that your parent is having difficulty in maintaining his balance or walking properly, he probably suffers from Parkinson’s. This will be most noticeable in their shuffling walk, characterized by short steps and a stooping posture; they will most likely have trouble turning around while walking. ‘Freezing’, is another symptom of Parkinson’s, wherein the individual suddenly stops any movement, this also leads to the frequent falls that plague Parkinson’s patients. The posture along with the gait disturbance leads to them not being able to balance themselves, which in turn results in constant falls that further impair their mobility.
These are some of the most common symptoms seen in every person suffering from Parkinson’s disease, which can help you identify whether your parent has Parkinson’s or not!
Are there any more symptoms which can help me identify Parkinson’s?
Other than the above mentioned symptoms, there are secondary symptoms which can help you identify Parkinson’s, in case your parent is suffering from it.
List of secondary symptoms of Parkinson’s:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Memory Loss
- Problems with mental clarity (For e.g.: Muddling up the day, month and year)
- Dementia
- Sleep related problems such as daytime sleeping, staying awake during the nights or sleeping through the day and so on, basically a reversal in sleeping patterns.
- Constipation
- Incontinence
- Noticeable decrease in one’s dexterity
Unfortunately, there are no diagnostic tests that can ascertain whether your parent has Parkinson’s. Neurological testing and brain mapping are used to ascertain whether or not Parkinson’s is present in the individual, MRI and CT scans are also in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Are there any treatments for Parkinson’s?
Unfortunately there is no ‘one’ treatment for Parkinson’s. Doctors always treat Parkinson’s patients for their symptoms; treatments are a combination of medications to increase the production of Dopamine in the brain and physical therapy for the incumbent muscles. Other treatment forms are dietary changes along with medications along with speech, physical and mental therapy. Surgery and deep brain stimulation are used to treat Parkinson’s patients who do not respond at all, to any other form of treatment.
If your parent suffers from Parkinson’s, give them adequate love and affection, encourage them to go on about their lives. You must also remember to modify your home and the furniture in it, as a parent suffering Parkinson’s is bound to fall and injure himself on the sharp edges of the furniture in the house.
So the next time you see your parent with a slight tremor in their hands or legs, or notice them having difficulty in moving, take them to the doctor. Don’t let Parkinson’s run your parent’s life, act now!
