Parkinson’s disease can occur in people over 60 years of age, but there are cases in which symptoms begin at age 40 or even earlier. On the other hand, some manifestations such as constipation, affective problems such as depression or anxiety; Sleep and smell problems are symptoms that can appear earlier, up to several decades, preceding the symptoms that affect mobility.
In Mexico there are no exact figures on the number of patients who have Parkinson’s, however, the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (INNN) estimates that for every 100,000 inhabitants there are 50 new cases annually, and worldwide it is estimated between four or five million people over 50 years of age with this condition.
He Dr. Héctor Rubén Martínez Hernández, neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s and movement disordersas well as head of the Parkinson’s Clinic at the ABC Medical Center, comments that it is estimated that 1 in 100 adults over the age of 60 have Parkinson’s and in most cases, their symptoms are mistakenly related to age-related problems and Not with this condition.
What is Parkinson’s?
the disease of Parkinson’s It is a condition that progressively affects the nervous system and parts of the body. It can occur in both women and men, although there is a greater propensity in men. This disease is not contagious and, although there are some familial cases or cases with a known genetic predisposition, most are not related to a direct genetic cause.
This disease occurs when neurons that produce brain neurotransmitters are lost, especially dopamine, a substance that helps people’s motor, emotional, and affective behavior.
Early warning signs of Parkinson’s Identify them!
In general terms, when talking about Parkinson’s, it is immediately related to body tremors, but the reality is that the signs and symptoms of this disease vary from person to person, therefore, not all people with Parkinson’s have tremor or all tremor manifestations are Parkinson’s. Only two-thirds of Parkinson’s patients have tremor, and the rest have a rigid form of Parkinson’s, says Dr. Martínez Hernández.
The complexity of a timely and correct diagnosis lies in the fact that the symptoms appear slowly and without a particular order, even, in many cases, years can pass between the beginning of the disease and some symptom becoming very noticeable.
In addition, there are signs or symptoms that, independently, do not necessarily mean the presence of Parkinson’s, but if they occur together, it is advisable to see a doctor for a more thorough review.
Symptoms generally fall into two categories: motor symptoms that lead to balance and mobility problems:
- Slow movement. Little by little, the disease will cause body movements to be delayed or difficult to perform.
- Muscular stiffness. This can occur anywhere on the body and can cause a feeling of “stiffness”, pain, or limited range of motion.
- tremors. They are the best-known symptom of Parkinson’s and usually start in the hands or fingers. It is common to see that even when the hands or feet tremble at rest, this tremor decreases when performing a physical task.
- speech changes. It can be perceived that the person begins to speak in a softer or faster way than normal, monotony in the tone of voice can also appear.
- Changes in writing. There may be greater difficulty when writing and the size of the letter may decrease.
- posture deterioration. The person may begin to assume a slouched posture.
- balance impairment. There is a possibility of falling or having difficulty maintaining balance.
- Loss of automatic movements. Activities such as blinking, smiling, or arm movement when walking may be reduced or limited.
While the non-motor symptoms can trigger different complications in daily life:
- Constipation. The digestive system works slowly, therefore, it can trigger constipation.
- urinary incontinence. Parkinson’s disease can cause bladder problems, so people with this condition can’t hold their urine, or they may have difficulty urinating at will.
- Emotional changes. It is possible to experience various emotional changes such as fear, anxiety, depression or loss of motivation.
- Sleep disorders. A person with Parkinson’s may have trouble falling asleep, waking up during the night or very early, or sleeping throughout the day. It is also common to have disorders in the REM phase (when the eyes move quickly) or even have vivid dreams.
- Difficulty in mental processing. During the later stages of the disease, the patient may have cognitive problems with thoughts, ideas, or knowledge.
- trouble eating. As the motor capacity of the person is affected, they may also have difficulty eating, chewing and swallowing in advanced stages of this disease.
Other problems that can occur as a consequence of this disease are: changes in blood pressure (decrease), smell problems when you stop identifying some odors; constant fatigue from loss of energy; pain in one area of the body or in a general way and a drop in sexual desire or performance.
Parkinson’s cannot be prevented or cured, but timely care can be given to improve people’s quality of life
Until now, no cause for the appearance of this disease has been identified, but it has been possible to detect that there are some risk factors that can be related, such as genes, premature aging, toxic and infectious factors, the important thing is that when you identify some symptoms In you or in a family member you seek specialized attention since in this way it is diagnosed in a timely manner and you will have the possibility of having treatments for the Parkinson’s that give them quality of life.
Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, once it has been diagnosed, the patient may be treated with drugs that replace dopamine and that can help to control the symptoms in a remarkable way, but also in those cases in which the drugs are not enough to control the disease, surgery will be an alternative for them.
At the ABC Medical Center, through the Parkinson’s Clinic and other Movement Disorders, you will find a center specialized in these conditions that has neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry and internal medicine, as well as a collegiate committee and an experienced group for decision-making and regulations for the best quality of patient care. patient for both pharmacological treatments and those who are candidates for surgery.
