Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder which affects around 120,000 people in the UK.

In this article:

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Diagnosis

Advice & Support

Symptoms

Treatment

Causes

How Chemist Online can help

What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is named after the person that first identified it in 1817, Dr James Parkinson. It is a persistent brain disorder which affects the manner in which the human brain controls and co-ordinates muscle movements throughout the body’s various parts.

People with Parkinson’s disease are generally over 50 years of age, but younger people can also develop the disease.

Although there is no actual cure for Parkinson’s disease, there are many things you can do to help cope with the condition and maintain everyday activities as normal.

Symptoms
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include:

slowness of movement

muscle stiffness

tremors (shaking) in the fingers, hands, arms and other parts of the body. (These tremors can affect the way you do things such as write or button up a shirt)

‘locked’ facial expressions (as if you are permanently staring, smiling or frowning)

balance problems

altered posture

tiredness, aches and pains

constipation, incontinence and excess sweating

problems swallowing, and a pooling of saliva in the mouth which can cause dribbling, and

sleeping problems

Causes
To help control and co-ordinate body muscle movement, the brain sends messages down nerves in the spinal cord. The part of the brain that does this is called the substantia nigra. Dopamine – a neurotransmitter in the substantia nigra – ‘tells’ the nerves, cells and muscles what to do. When cells in the substantia nigra become damaged and/or die, less dopamine (and other neurotransmitters) is produced and the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease gradually develop, slowing down muscle movements and impacting negatively upon the body in the manner described in the Symptoms section above.

Other possible causes currently being investigated by medical research teams worldwide include:

environmental factors – certain toxins and pesticides

a genetic predisposition to developing the disease (i.e. the disease is in the family, and may have been handed down by a previous generation)

Diagnosis
The onset of Parkinson’s disease can be a very gradual process, with most symptoms not developing or becoming apparent to you or those around you on a daily basis. This makes the disease difficult to diagnose in its early stages.

As your symptoms develop from mild to severe, a GP will refer you to a specialist (a neurologist who specialises in conditions of the nervous system). He or she will make a diagnosis based upon your medical history, symptoms and through carrying out a clinical examination.

If Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed, you will see your neurologist every 6 to 12 months.

Treatment
Although there is no actual cure for Parkinson’s disease, there is a range of treatments which can ease symptoms. These include:

drug therapies

physiotherapy

occupational therapy

speech therapy, and

brain surgery (in severe cases)



How Chemist Online can help

A symptom, or related condition, of Parkinson’s disease is constipation. Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy that can help ease constipation, such as DulcoEase Laxative Capsules.

Note: Eating fruit, cereals, bran-based bread, green vegetables and raw vegetables can also help.

To help aid restful sleep, we can recommend a range of treatments, such as Nelsons Noctura, which contains a unique selection of homeopathic remedies, specifically combined to bring soothing relief from sleeping problems. We also have Sen bamboo & ginseng+11, a natural formula that has been used for centuries in China to alleviate emotional distress, hypersensitivity, and insomnia that may have persisted for many years.



www.chemistonline.co.uk


Advice & Support
For people with Parkinson’s disease, living alone can become hazardous. This is why many local authorities run alarm schemes. Help the Aged and Age Concern also run these schemes.

Other organisations:
Parkinson’s Disease Society
215 Vauxhall Bridge Road
London SW1V 1EJ
Helpline: 0808 800 0303
Website: www.parkinsons.org.uk
E-mail: Contact enquiry form

Younger Parkinson’s Network
Helpline: 0808 800 0303
E-mail: chair@yap-web.net


This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.


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