Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease and is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. Age increases the risk of getting Parkinson’s and the average age of diagnosis is 60.
Parkinson’s is not a terminal condition. It is caused by changes in brain chemicals that gradually progress as the years go on. The reason for these changes has not yet been established. In Parkinson’s, the brain cells that make dopamine either stop working or die. Dopamine is a signalling chemical that coordinates movement as well as the feelings of motivation and reward. When dopamine cells die Parkinson’s symptoms emerge.
How do you get diagnosed with Parkinson’s?
To get diagnosed with Parkinson’s the doctor is looking at the person’s medical history and checking if more than two of the common symptoms are matching.
The common symptoms are:
? Constipation or Incontinence
? Balance Problems
? Walking difficulties
? Stooped posture
? Stiffness of muscles
? Resting Tremor
? Slowness of movement
The four stages of Parkinson’s:
?⚕️ Diagnosis
? Maintenance
? Complex
? Palliative
If you are an organisation in the health care, care home or home care sector, you can sign up to do our newly launched Supporting People with Parkinson’s course to get fully educated on the topic and learn how to care for someone suffering from it.
If you would like to learn more about Parkinson’s disease, please go to Parkinsons.org.
