5 FACTS About Parkinson’s

FACT 1: PARKINSON’S DOESN’T ONLY AFFECT THE AGED.

Around ten million people across the world live with Parkinson’s disease and it’s the fastest growing neurological disease globally. While most people start to develop symptoms when they’re over 50, about one in 20 people start showing symptoms when they’re under 40. Actor Michael J. Fox was 30 when he was diagnosed.

FACT 2: SMALLER HANDWRITING MIGHT BE A SYMPTOM.

The usual first clue that you might have this progressive disease, which causes problems in the brain when certain nerve cells die, is a tremor. This may affect your chin, lips, hand or even just your little finger, usually when you’re relaxed. Slow movement and stiffness are other symptoms, but, surprisingly, having large handwriting that suddenly goes little and having trouble smelling can also point to Parkinson’s.

FACT 3: EXERCISE CAN BE AS IMPORTANT AS MEDICATION.

US research found that people with Parkinson’s who did 2.5 hours of exercise a week experienced a slower decline in quality of life related to their health.

FACT 4: TREATMENTS INCLUDE MEDICATIONS, PHYSIO AND EVEN SURGERY.

There are a lot of different drug treatments which help with symptoms. Physiotherapy to improve movement and speech and language therapy if you have problems speaking can be helpful. Deep brain stimulation allows some people to move better and control involuntary movement. A device, like a heart pacemaker, generates a tiny electric pulse to your brain via wires inserted under the skin.

FACT 5: THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN.

What causes Parkinson’s remains largely unknown. Genetics cause about ten to 15 per cent of all Parkinson’s. The other 85 to 90 per cent of cases are classified as instances with no known family history.