Fast Facts about Parkinson’s disease
- According to the statistics put forward by the National Parkinson Foundation, around one million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease in the United States alone.
- Despite the fact that medical science has taken huge leaps and has made great advancements, the actual cause of Parkinson’s disease in still not known.
- Another startling fact about this degenerative disorder of CNS is that there is still no specific test for its diagnosis.
- The world renowned boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who died on 3rd June 2016, was diagnosed with the disease in 1984 when he was 42 years old.
Source
- Parkinson’s has affected around 4 million people, all over the world.
- Although patients’ quality of life can be improved with treatment, the disease itself is incurable.
Source
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CS). It affects the functioning of the nerve cells that are responsible for producing dopamine and ultimately causes their death. This loss of nerve cells takes place in a specific part of brain known as “substantia nigra”.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls and coordinates movement of different body parts and emotions as well.
Although it is not a life threatening disease, due to the complications it causes Parkinson’s has been rated as the 14th leading cause of deaths in the United States by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unfortunately, like its actual cause, no cure has been found for Parkinson’s disease. However, treatment (including medication and / or surgery) can definitely improves the quality of life by helping patients control the signs and symptoms.
Also, the absence of the diagnostic test for Parkinson’s make prognosis very difficult. Doctors have to do a complete neurological examination and consider the medical history of the patient and his/ her family to diagnose the disease.
Symptoms
Parkinson’s disease may show varying symptoms in different patients. Also, since it is a progressive disease, the signs and symptoms change as it develops.
The early symptoms of Parkinson’s may be very minor, such as slight tremor in a hand, due to which they often go unnoticed during early stages.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be divided into two categories:
1. Motor Symptoms
A person suffering from Parkinson’s may show one or more of the following symptoms related to his/ her movement:
- Tremor in legs, arms, hands, face and/or jaw, usually during the resting position, hence called ‘resting tremor’.
- Stiff or rigid limbs and muscles
- Freezing, that is, a very small period during which the patient is unable to move.
- Slowed and limited movement
- Problem in walking, balancing and in coordination, scientifically called ‘postural instability’.
- Loss of facial movement that affects the expression.
2. Non-Motor Symptoms
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Sleep related problems
- Constipation
- Losing the sense of smell
- Weight gain or loss
- Low blood pressure during the stand up position, called ‘orthostatic hypotension’.
- Dental health issues
- Problems related to vision
- Increased production of saliva
- Certain cognitive issues.
Recommended Supplements
While eating a healthy diet and regular exercise helps to manage Parkinson’s disease, it is not enough to keep you fit and healthy. Supplements are essential for managing Parkinson’s disease and reducing its symptoms. But it should be kept in mind that supplements should not be used to replace the treatment for Parkinson’s disease. It is not always true that natural products are safe for use. Many products can react with your body and produce an adverse reaction. Thus, it is better to be safe and consult your before starting to use any supplements for managing your condition.
The following supplements have proven to benefit people with Parkinson’s disease:
CoQ10 Veggie Caps
According to a research conducted by the Jutendo University School of Medicine in Japan, CoQ10, a short form for coenzyme Q10, may help in improving the symptoms of Parkinson’s. This was found by conducting a long clinical study on 58 patients of Parkinson’s during the ‘wearing off’ phase; when the medicines lose their effectiveness, resulting in severity of symptoms. Two main types of CoQ10 supplements are available; ubiquinol, which is the reduced form and ubiquinone, the oxidized form. According to researchers, the ubiquinol has shown positive results in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. CoQ10 helps improving the function of ‘mitochondria’, which is disturbed in Parkinson’s disease. CoQ10 is naturally found in parsley, organ meat, buts, sesame seeds and broccoli. Also, it is easily available in capsule form.
Red Yeast Rice + CoQ10
Red Yeast rice is a popular ingredient of in Chinese cuisine and has also been used as a medicinal food for ages. Since, it mainly helps in maintaining healthy blood circulation it may help in avoiding or overcoming the freezing of limbs in people suffering from Parkinson’s. However, it is also found to lower the levels of CoQ10 in the body that is essential for muscle and heart health. Therefore, it is advised to always take CoQ10 supplements with red yeast rice.
L-Phenylalanine 500 mg Vegetable Capsules
L-Phenyalalanine is a compound that is easily converted by the human body into tyrosine; an essential amino acid that are the basic elements of key neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. Both these neurotransmitters are crucial for maintaining a healthy nervous system and to ensure its proper functioning. However, since our body does not naturally produce L-Phenylalanine, it needs to be included in diet.
Essential Oils
Vetiver essential oil helps in reducing tremors whereas frankincense and helichrysum oils are found useful in reducing inflammation of brain. Essential oils have also help reliving digestive and sleep problems, depression and skin inflammation and thus, are useful for patients of Parkinson’s disease.
Green Tea
Theanine that is present in green tea helps improving the levels of ‘dopamine; inside the brain. Also, it contains polyphenol anti-oxidants that support the body in fighting against free radicals.
The above natural supplements are known to help in controlling and managing Parkinson’s disease, but you should exercise proper caution and ask your doctor before adding any such supplements to your diet. Herbs have lasting and strong effects on the body and can also interact with other drugs and medications, causing dangerous and adverse reactions. If you use any medication for your disease, talk to your doctor before you decide to start any supplements or herbal products to manage your health condition.