April is Parkinson’s Awareness month. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with a variety of motor function impairment symptoms such as tremors, rigidity and mobility problems. Other symptoms may be apathy, depression, sleep problems, loss of smell and cognitive impairment. There is no known cure and treatment options vary.
Advancements in medical technologies have improved in medications to delay the worsening of symptoms. Doctors have also experimented with surgeries that can control erratic brain impulses. Surgeries, like deep brain stimulation, for instance, involve the placing of electrodes to block the abnormal brain activity that is responsible for generating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Most Parkinson’s disease sufferers will be above the age of 60, but in recent years, medical scientists have confirmed that Parkinson’s disease can strike at any age. Young persons are not immune to the disease.
Every tremor isn’t a sign of Parkinson’s disease, but you need to get tremors checked out as soon as these begin to occur. What can make a diagnosis challenging, at least in the initial stages, is that symptoms are different for different people, and tremors are not necessarily the first sign of Parkinson’s disease. Earliest symptoms will start much before there are any observable physical symptoms. A person may suffer from lack of sleep, difficulty maintaining posture, impaired ability to smell, vision problems and other symptoms.