Memuna, I noticed you looked quite uncomfortable during the last board meeting—you could hardly hold the microphone. What’s the matter? Danladi, my brother, that’s one cross I have to bear for growing old! Have you complained at the hospital? No need, it will go away....
So, you assume right? Wrong!! Only a qualified doctor can tell—you must get a checkup as soon as possible and the earlier you do, the better! Do you also experience muscle stiffness? Is it increasingly difficult to maintain balance while walking? You probably have coordination issues while making some movements, right? And, are these symptoms getting worse?
You may have Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder, beginning slowly and gradually gets disabling. As already stated, difficulties with balance and coordination are the hallmarks of this ailment, which could be really a challenge to accept! The bad news is the progression of the disease over time, but as with many illnesses, early diagnosis is key to treatment and a good quality of life.
How is Parkinson’s disease diagnosed?
You need a medical consultation for an accurate diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The good part is that this disease gives you several warning signs before it gets terrible. The early signs of Parkinson’s disease include shaking hands and fingers, loss of fine automatic movements such as holding your pen, impairments in your posture and balance, and slowed movements. You may also experience changes in your speech and writing, all worsened by muscle stiffness.
Any lasting solutions for Parkinson’s disease?
Sadly, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but there are treatments to relieve the symptoms and improve your quality of life. And the earlier you start, the better. Treatment for Parkinson’s disease targets the problem areas. For instance, since Parkinson’s disease is caused by shortage of a brain substance called dopamine, you can expect your doctors to give you dopamine boosters. Do you remember the tremors or shaking hands and fingers? Anti-tremor medications come in handy to restore normalcy and get you steady again. Doctors also add medications targeted at boosting your mood and medications to enhance your mental function and cognition.
Unfortunately, despite doctors’ best efforts, Parkinson’s disease remains a real challenge for patients and sometimes the main dopamine-boosters fail to connect the “gaps.” You must not self-medicate, however, because of the need to maintain that delicate balance between too little or too much dopamine—only your doctors can help with that!
Is Parkinson’s disease preventable?
Sadly, Parkinson’s disease cannot be prevented. However, current advances in diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease now involve scanning for substances in the body that give a clue about disease risks. These biomarkers can be identified and quantified in the brain and spinal fluid. Some of these biomarkers are used to predict your likelihood of coming down with Parkinson’s disease.
Take-home message: Parkinson’s disease poses a serious challenge to affected people with debilitating symptoms that only get worse. However, with early detection and treatment come good clinical outcomes and an improved quality of life.
