FLORIDA – As we get older, there are many things we have to look out for, health-wise. One of those things is Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that can limit mobility in those who experience it. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, the disease affects dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain.
According to the Anatolian Current Medial Journal, the death rate for people with Parkinson’s has increased 63% in the last 20 years, and nearly 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year.
“Parkinson’s is a condition that arises in the brain as a part of the degeneration that the brain, as an organ, may go through in some patients,” said Dr. Nestor Galvez, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic Florida.
According to Galvez, patients with Parkinson’s may experience:
- Shaking hands
- The Parkinson’s Mask - or a lack of facial expression
- Slurred speech
- Rigid movement
- Trouble walking
Though Parkinson’s disease can run in families, Galvez says there is no definite cause for the illness.
“It’s what we call sporadic, meaning we believe that Parkinson’s disease occurs as a consequence of something that we don’t understand yet,” he said.
Parkinson’s disease impacts every person differently, Galvez said, and because of that, each person will need a different kind of treatment.
“You can tailor the treatment depending on what the patient wants or needs are,” he said. “And of course, physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy are very important.”
If you’re diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Galvez says the most important thing you can do for your health is to try to stay active.
“It’s easy for someone to become a couch potato, but it’s my patients who are very busy physically that do the best,” he said.
Though there is no known root cause of Parkinson’s disease, Galvez says maintaining good nutrition and a healthy diet is a good step in maintaining brain health.