Parkinsons Symptoms: Primary & Secondary
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disease of the central nervous system. This disease affects more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. alone. Individuals who have idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease can develop several different symptoms over time. The disease can progress either quickly or gradually over the years which means that people can become profoundly disabled or function relatively well.
Individuals will also find that parkinsons symptoms vary from day to day and in some cases even moment to moment. Doctors aren’t able at this time to give a clear reason for the fluctuation of the symptoms.
Parkinsons symptoms fall into one of four categories of characteristics and can be remembered with the acronym TRAP. T=Tremor (Involuntary trembling of the limbs) R=Rigidity (Stiffness) A=Akinesia (Slowness in initiating and maintaining movement) P=Postural instability (Bending or flexing of the body, difficulty with balance or disturbance of gait).
It can be difficult to identify exactly when symptoms of the disease will first began showing. Many people will vividly recall a tremor but physicians can often find subtle signs of the disease which were present before a tremor became noticeable. Some of the early signs and symptoms include a change in facial expression, a stooped posture, limping or dragging one leg, change in quality of the voice, resting tremor, perception they are trembling internally or a frozen and painful shoulder.
Primary Symptoms
Physicians often characterize these symptoms as primary when they fall into the categories of Bradykinesia, tremors, rigidity, poor balance, or Parkinson’s gait. These primary symptoms all fall under the four distinctive characteristics remembered with the acronym TRAP. Bradykinesia is the medical term which describes the slowness of voluntary movements. In other words, Bradykinesia is the difficulty in beginning movement as well as completing it during progression. It also accounts for the relative expressionless appearance that many individuals with Parkinson’s disease will experience.
Individuals who suffer from Parkinson’s disease have a very distinctive unsteady walk with a natural tendency to lean back or forward and to develop a head down, shoulders stooped stance. Their walk is often shuffling and individuals will usually have trouble starting to walk or may freeze in mid-stride.
Secondary Symptoms
Secondary symptoms of the disease are caused by the loss of voluntary and involuntary muscle control and the intensity of these symptoms will vary from person to person. These symptoms include constipation, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, excessive sweating, dementia, small cramped handwriting, soft whispery voice and depression.
Scientists believe that the cause of these symptoms originates from an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. The symptoms apparently do not become noticeable until approximately 80% of the cells of the substantia nigra have died. As these cells die and dopamine, the specific neurotransmitter which is responsible for most of these symptoms, decreases in production and is lost. Although scientists understand that this neurotransmitter is the cause of the symptoms they still do not know what causes the degeneration.
Research is ongoing for improved treatments to enable individuals who suffer from Parkinson’s disease to lead a more productive and less painful life.
Related posts:
- Posted by Linda
- Tagged Heart Disease, Parkinson's Disease
