April 11 is World Parkinson’s Disease Day. Parkinson's disease, also known as palsy shaking, is caused by the degeneration of neurons in the brain. In recent years, the incidence of Parkinson's disease among young and middle-aged people has increased. Researchers said that timely recognition of Parkinson's disease symptoms is the key and basis for early diagnosis and can avoid delays in treatment.
Parkinson's disease is related to age, environment, genetics and other factors. High-risk groups for Parkinson's disease include those with a family history of Parkinson's disease and related gene carriers, those who frequently use or are exposed to chemicals such as pesticides, those with early-stage traumatic brain injury, and those with a history of melanoma.
“Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease tend to appear gradually, often initially on only one side of the body, and eventually both sides are affected as the disease progresses.” Researchers say people with Parkinson's disease display different symptoms, the most common of which are tremors, muscle stiffness and slowness of movement, which are all related to movement and are called motor symptoms.
In addition, patients with Parkinson's disease may also experience the following non-motor symptoms. The first is sensory impairment. Loss of smell may occur in the early stage, and may be accompanied by numbness and pain in the limbs in the middle and late stages of the disease. The second is sleep disorder, which is manifested by frequent yelling, punching and kicking while sleeping. The third is mental disorders. A considerable number of patients have cognitive impairment or even dementia, and some patients are accompanied by anxiety and depression. The fourth is autonomic nervous system dysfunction, which can manifest as intractable constipation, profuse sweating, increased seborrhea, and poor urination.
Researchers remind that hand tremors are a typical symptom of Parkinson's disease, but hand tremors are not necessarily Parkinson's disease. The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is mainly based on clinical manifestations. It also requires a physical examination by a specialist, combined with auxiliary examination methods such as imaging and drug response testing for comprehensive diagnosis.
How to prevent and treat Parkinson's disease? Researchers said that studies have shown that physical exercise, moderate drinking of coffee and tea, and healthy eating habits may prevent the occurrence of Parkinson's disease. In addition, early identification of high-risk groups for Parkinson's disease and targeted intervention and management are the keys to early diagnosis and early treatment of Parkinson's disease.
