Parkinson's disease is the 2nd most common neurodegenerative disorder behind Alzheimer’s with over 8.5 million people worldwide diagnosed. This progressive disorder affects the nervous system and the parts of the body; causing many problems with movement, mental health, sleep, and many other health issues. What causes Parkinson's Disease (PD)?
Parkinson's Disease is yet to be fully discovered but what scientists have put together is that PD is triggered by many different changes in the brain and external factors such as:
Low dopamine levels
Low norepinephrine levels
Lewy bodies - clumps of protein in the brain
Genetic factors
Autoimmune factors
Environmental factors
One of the main triggers for Parkinson's disease is a lack of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain, commonly referred to as the ‘reward chemical’. Dopamine acts as a chemical messenger by communicating messages between nerve cells in your brain and the rest of your body. This chemical plays an important role in bodily functions such as movement, memory, motivation, and mood. Thus without sufficient dopamine, the brain is unable to communicate and transmit signals to correctly coordinate movement, resulting in Parkinson's.
Symptoms
Although Parkinson's disease is a very gradual disorder, there are many early signs that indicate that someone has PD, such as motor impairment symptoms, which include tremors, slow movement, imbalance, and rigidity. As well as non-motor symptoms such as dementia, sleep disorders, and cognitive impairments.
As many people enter the age of 60 this degenerative disorder becomes more and more susceptible to them. Although there is no current cure for PD, there are various other solutions to treat it. Toxins play a vital role in the buildup of Parkinson's disease, therefore trying to avoid as many toxins such as pesticides is the best way to prevent PD. Certain medications, surgeries, and therapies will also help to relieve all of these symptoms.
Parkinson's disease is rapidly increasing due to risk factors such as pollution, exposure to toxins, and the aging population in many countries. This is a relatively unknown disease and is becoming increasingly worrying for our lives and healthcare as a whole. However, there is still hope, with the advancement of technology in medicine, that there will be a cure soon.
Reference List
Blake, M. (2023). How common is Parkinson’s disease? [online] Medicalnewstoday.com. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-common-is-parkinsons-disease#stats.
Mayo Clinic. (2024). Parkinson’s disease - Symptoms and causes. [online] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055.
Morales-Brown, L. (2021). What is the connection between dopamine and Parkinson’s disease? [online] Medicalnewstoday.com. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dopamine-parkinsons.
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