Bipolar Disorder a Risk Factor for Parkinson’s?

Struggling with bipolar disorder is hard enough, but now a new study suggests these patients are seven times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

But U.S. experts cautioned that the absolute risk of developing Parkinson's -- an incurable movement disease -- is still very low for those with the mood disorder.

"I wasn't surprised [by the study's findings], because similar disorders like major depression and anxiety disorder convey a similar increased risk of Parkinson's later in life," said a Dr. "This gives you two reasons to treat bipolar disorder aggressively," he added. 

Also known as manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder is a mood disorder marked by swings from elated, energized behavior to feelings of sadness and hopelessness. It affects about 2.6% of American adults, according to the researchers.

Parkinson's is a progressive condition causing tremors, rigid muscles and slowed movement, among other symptoms. By 2030, the Parkinson's Foundation projects 1.2 million Americans will be living with the disease.

For the study, researchers  reviewed health records for 56,000 people  who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder between 2001 and 2009. They were compared to 225,000 people with no history of bipolar or Parkinson's. Both groups were tracked until late 2011.

During the study period, 372 people with bipolar disorder -- or 0.7% -- developed Parkinson's. This compared to 222 -- or 0.1% -- of those who didn't have bipolar disorder.

Those with bipolar who developed Parkinson's were nine years younger -- average age 64 -- than others who also developed Parkinson's, the study found.

"When you say there's seven times the risk, it gets scary. But it's still very few [bipolar] patients who get Parkinson's," said a Dr., who reviewed the findings. He's a neurologist specializing in movement disorders and Parkinson's disease. He pointed out that while the study was large, it was limited by including only people in Taiwan.

"We don't know how this would apply more globally or broadly," he said. "I think it's more interesting for physicians to know this and be more aware of the association."

The author said scientists have many theories -- still unproven -- about how bipolar disorder might be connected to the development of Parkinson's. 

"A depressive or manic episode may do something to the brain that renders it more vulnerable" to Parkinson's over time, he said.

And he noted that many medications used to treat bipolar disorder can trigger Parkinson's-like symptoms.

Many experts think Parkinson's is active years or decades before movement problems show up, and mood disorders such as bipolar may actually be an early symptom of Parkinson's, authors said. 

Much more research is still needed, they agreed.

"We definitely need to look more at a global population," he said. "The researchers here did follow patients for 10 years, but it needs to be extended longer to see how many of these patients convert to Parkinson's down the road."

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/    

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How to Detect Parkinson's: A Guide to Early Signs

Degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's represent some of the largest challenges facing medical researchers today. These diseases not only rob us of control over our own bodies, but slowly sap our mental capabilities as well. Like most diseases, however, they are best detected early on, when we can at least slow down the progress of the disease, hopefully until better treatments are found. To do this, we must be aware of the early symptoms and signs that point to Parkinson's.
Note: Don't panic if you have one or more of these symptoms, as they can be related to other issues. However, to stay on the safe side, if you think there is even a small chance you are showing early signs, please get tested, if only for your own peace of mind. If you do have it and you catch it early, the prognosis will be much better for you.
Here are 8 symptoms of the onset of Parkinson's disease:

 

1. A Change in Handwriting

If a person's handwriting starts to go from big and free to small and cramped, this may well be an early sign of Parkinson's. The telling signs are letters that get smaller and words that seem crowded together with letters almost written on top of each other. Many patients also take longer to write and have trouble with repetitive tasks.

2. A Reduced Sense of Smell 

If someone is suddenly having trouble smelling pungent foods or picking up on scents, they should go see a doctor. Most times it has to do with sinuses, and it's definitely not one of the most obvious signs of Parkinson's, but doctors say that patients with Parkinson's claim it to be the earliest sign they had of the disease. While studies haven't proven the link between the symptom and the disease, a working theory is that certain proteins form clumps in the brain and may form in the olfactory area, reducing our sense of smell.

3. Trouble Sleeping

Another symptom that can be easily ignored because it's so common, is the sudden inability to sleep well, even if you're usually a sound sleeper. You may toss and turn, your limbs move and twitch during sleep, or you may even wake up on the floor, having fallen from bed. Ask your significant other if you are making a lot of movements at night, and go see a doctor if it persists.

4. A Quieter, Softer Voice OR an Expressionless Face

A softer voice and a vacant facial expression are common signs of Parkinson's. Some will not notice they are speaking in a softer tone, and they definitely won't notice their face losing expression, so it is up to the people around them to be aware of these signs. Speaking too rapidly or stammering a lot is also a symptom. 
5. Depression 
Obviously many patients develop depression after learning they have Parkinson's, but there is a physical link between the deterioration that comes with Parkinson's and depression. Some patients get depressed years before the other symptoms of the disease appear. Lower-than-normal secretions of serotonin and dopamine, the neurotransmitters involved with many bodily functions as well as mood, can cause this effect.

6. Constipation

If you find that you've seriously reduced the number of times you move your bowels, sometimes even skipping a day - it's not a good sign, even if it's not Parkinson's, and so you should check it out. The disease has an effect on the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for unconscious processes such as digestion and bowel function. Constipation on its own is usually nothing to worry about, but if it comes with some of the other symptoms on this list - go get checked immediately.  

7. Shaking/Tremors While Perfectly Relaxed

Shaking is perfectly normal under certain circumstances. We may be excited or anxious, have just finished a workout or are feeling restless. But small shakes in our fingers, our hands, our chin, lip or our limbs while we're at rest could be a strong sign of Parkinson's, according to experts. This symptom appears in about 70% of patients and can become more noticeable during stress or excitement.

This symptom usually arrives AFTER the other symptoms on this list though. However, many a time it is the first one truly noticed, as the others can all have other explanations. 

8. Stiffness and Slowness of Movement 

Stiffness in the joints that doesn't go away, coupled with muscle weakness that's here to stay can spell bad news. Suddenly everyday tasks like buttoning your shirt, walking or fixing things around the house become bothersome and difficult. You stop swinging your arms as you walk and your legs and feet feel heavy and 'stuck to the floor'. If you start hesitating before taking steps, or people are commenting that you look stiff or sore - please see a doctor.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              
FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         https://my crochet creations.blogspot.com  

 

 

Parkinson’s Disease : stages, diagnosis and treatment

Parkinson's Disease (PD), named after London physician, James Parkinson, is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor and non-motor functions due to a lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine allows nerve impulses to travel smoothly from one cell to the other. When dopamine is reduced, the messages from the brain to the nerve cells aren’t properly transmitted, resulting in the recognizable tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement. Doctors help us in understanding the different stages of Parkinson’s Disease, diagnosis and the treatment options.

Stages of Parkinson’s Disease Stage 1. Symptoms are mild and do not interfere with the person’s quality of life. Stage 2. Symptoms worsen and daily activities become more difficult and take more time to complete. Stage 3 is considered mid-stage Parkinson’s disease. The individual loses balance, moves more slowly, and falls are common. Symptoms impair daily activities, for example, dressing, eating, and brushing teeth. Stage 4. Symptoms become severe and the individual needs assistance for walking and performing daily activities. Stage 5 is the most advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. The individual is unable to walk and will need full time assistance with living.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease
An early and accurate diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is important in developing good treatment strategies to maintain a high quality of life for as long as possible. However, there is no test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease with certainty. A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease – especially in the early phase – can be challenging due to similarities to related movement disorders and other conditions with Parkinson-like symptoms known as Parkinson plus syndrome as these conditions are not drug responsive.

An initial assessment is made based on medical history, a neurological exam, and the symptoms present. For the medical history, it is important to know whether other family members have Parkinson’s disease, what types of medication have been or are being taken, and whether there was exposure to toxins or repeated head trauma previously. A neurological exam may include an evaluation of coordination, walking, and fine motor tasks involving the hands.

Parkinson’s Disease treatment
Always consult a neurologist if you have any of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Medical Treatment: Since Parkinson’s disease is both chronic and progressive, meaning that once it occurs it does not go away and symptoms generally get worse over time, you must take medicines for the rest of your life. PD drugs are usually introduced in low doses and are gradually increased over weeks or months. PD drugs often take several months to develop their full beneficial effects. So, you have to be patient.
Surgical Option: Surgical therapies may be considered during the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD), especially if symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with medication. Deep brain stimulation (or DBS) is the main type of surgery used to treat Parkinson’s including tremors, stiffness, and trouble walking. It can also treat side effects of Parkinson’s medicines.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   
FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              
FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         https://my crochet creations.blogspot.com/  

Parkinson's Disease Needs Awareness

Parkinson's disease is a chronic movement disorder that affects your central nervous system. The disease progresses slowly and worsens over time. More than 10 million people around the world are living with Parkinson's disease yet are many misunderstandings about the disorder and hardly any awareness. The incidence of Parkinson's increases with age, therefore may people may often confuse the early symptoms of the disease with age related problems. This misconception often leads to delay in diagnosis and makes it difficult to treat.

What is Parkinson's Disease?

Scientifically speaking, Parkinson’s disease involves the malfunction and death of critical nerve cells in the brain which are called neurons. Some of these affected neurons produce a chemical called dopamine which sends messages to the part of the brain which controls movement and coordination. With the progress of disease, the amount of dopamine produced decrease and thus, a person may not be able to control his movements normally.

Risk factors

Parkinson's mostly strikes people as they age  and only about 4 per cent of the total cases around the world have been found in people below the age of 50. So, the most important risk factor for Parkinson's is age but other factors may be genetic, hereditary or rare cases exposure to some kind of  toxins.

Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

It can be hard to diagnose Parkinson's disease as symptoms may vary from person to person but these are some of the common symptoms that you should look out for.

1. Tremors or shaking of the hands and legs
2. Slow movement
3. Stiffness of the limbs
4. Impaired balance and coordination
5. Loss of smell
6. Trouble walking or moving
7. Sudden movements during sleep

These symptoms are easy to identify but there may be other warning signs that indicate Parkinson's and are not related to movement at all like change in speech, increased urinary frequency and urgency, and cognitive impairments.

Is Parkinson's disease curable?

There has been no cure of Parkinson's disease but there are treatments available to control the disease and manage the symptoms. There are medications available to restore the balance of neurotransmitters like dopamine in the brain. In severe cases, doctors may also recommend the implantation of a deep brain stimulator or DBS.

Recently, a group of scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden seemed to have brought us closer to a cure for Parkinson's disease. In a study, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, they have found a way to replace the brain cells destroyed by the disease with the help of stem cell technique or cell reprogramming which is a process that involves converting one cell type into another. 
  this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.  
 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
  htps://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes  
 https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
 

How to Detect Parkinson's

Degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's represent some of the largest challenges facing medical researchers today. These diseases not only rob us of control over our own bodies, but slowly sap our mental capabilities as well. Like most diseases, however, they are best detected early on, when we can at least slow down the progress of the disease, hopefully until better treatments are found. To do this, we must be aware of the early symptoms and signs that point to Parkinson's.
Note: Don't panic if you have one or more of these symptoms, as they can be related to other issues. However, to stay on the safe side, if you think there is even a small chance you are showing early signs, please get tested, if only for your own peace of mind. If you do have it and you catch it early, the prognosis will be much better for you.
Here are 8 symptoms of the onset of Parkinson's disease:

 

1. A Change in Handwriting

If a person's handwriting starts to go from big and free to small and cramped, this may well be an early sign of Parkinson's. The telling signs are letters that get smaller and words that seem crowded together with letters almost written on top of each other. Many patients also take longer to write and have trouble with repetitive tasks.

2. A Reduced Sense of Smell 

If someone is suddenly having trouble smelling pungent foods or picking up on scents, they should go see a doctor. Most times it has to do with sinuses, and it's definitely not one of the most obvious signs of Parkinson's, but doctors say that patients with Parkinson's claim it to be the earliest sign they had of the disease. While studies haven't proven the link between the symptom and the disease, a working theory is that certain proteins form clumps in the brain and may form in the olfactory area, reducing our sense of smell.

3. Trouble Sleeping

Another symptom that can be easily ignored because it's so common, is the sudden inability to sleep well, even if you're usually a sound sleeper. You may toss and turn, your limbs move and twitch during sleep, or you may even wake up on the floor, having fallen from bed. Ask your significant other if you are making a lot of movements at night, and go see a doctor if it persists.

4. A Quieter, Softer Voice OR an Expressionless Face

A softer voice and a vacant facial expression are common signs of Parkinson's. Some will not notice they are speaking in a softer tone, and they definitely won't notice their face losing expression, so it is up to the people around them to be aware of these signs. Speaking too rapidly or stammering a lot is also a symptom. 

5. Depression 
Obviously many patients develop depression after learning they have Parkinson's, but there is a physical link between the deterioration that comes with Parkinson's and depression. Some patients get depressed years before the other symptoms of the disease appear. Lower-than-normal secretions of serotonin and dopamine, the neurotransmitters involved with many bodily functions as well as mood, can cause this effect.

6. Constipation

If you find that you've seriously reduced the number of times you move your bowels, sometimes even skipping a day - it's not a good sign, even if it's not Parkinson's, and so you should check it out. The disease has an effect on the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for unconscious processes such as digestion and bowel function. Constipation on its own is usually nothing to worry about, but if it comes with some of the other symptoms on this list - go get checked immediately.  

7. Shaking/Tremors While Perfectly Relaxed

Shaking is perfectly normal under certain circumstances. We may be excited or anxious, have just finished a workout or are feeling restless. But small shakes in our fingers, our hands, our chin, lip or our limbs while we're at rest could be a strong sign of Parkinson's, according to the National Parkinson Foundation. This symptom appears in about 70% of patients and can become more noticeable during stress or excitement.

This symptom usually arrives AFTER the other symptoms on this list though. However, many a time it is the first one truly noticed, as the others can all have other explanations. 

8. Stiffness and Slowness of Movement 

Stiffness in the joints that doesn't go away, coupled with muscle weakness that's here to stay can spell bad news. Suddenly everyday tasks like buttoning your shirt, walking or fixing things around the house become bothersome and difficult. You stop swinging your arms as you walk and your legs and feet feel heavy and 'stuck to the floor'. If you start hesitating before taking steps, or people are commenting that you look stiff or sore - please see a doctor.

 this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes 
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement