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No Parkinsons Disease Parkinsons Disease No man has ever been successful in an endeavor for which he felt no passion -J. T. 1995 - My grandfather is Joe Kenneth McLe more, he was born June 16, 1938. He has been more like a father than a grandfather to me; I was even named after him. So, in 1995 when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease I was devastated. At the time I knew very little about this disease, most of us dont, it effects less that? of 1 % of the population.
The only thing I knew about Parkinsons Disease was that it made Mrs. Kuykendahls hand shake so badly that she could not hold up her hymn book in church. I am choosing Parkinsons Disease as my project because I am passionate about it. It affects someone that is very near and dear to my heart. So I will tell you everything I know about it; how it affects the person afflicted with it, and those around them.
History and Description of the Disease Parkinsons disease (PD), also known as shaking palsy, was first described in 1917 by James Parkinson. More than a million Americans are afflicted with Parkinsons. The disease mostly affects people over the age of 40, although it can appear in younger patients and one form of PD can strike teenagers. Parkinsons disease belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders.
The four primary symptoms are tremor or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; bradykinesia or slowness of movement; and postural instability or impaired balance and coordination. As these symptoms become more pronounced, patients may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks. The disease is both chronic, meaning it persists over a long period of time, and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse overtime. It is not contagious nor is it usually inherited that is, it does not pass directly from one family member or generation to the next.
Parkinsons disease is the most common form of parkinsonism, the name for a group of disorders with similar features. These disorders share the four primary symptoms described above, and all are the result of the loss of dopamine producing brain cells. Parkinsons disease is also called primary parkinsonism or idiopathic Parkinsons disease; idiopathic is a term describing a disorder for which no cause has yet been found. In the other forms of parkinsonism either the cause is known or suspected or the disorder occurs as a secondary effect of another, primary neurological disorder. The Prognosis Currently the prognosis is simple and bleak.
Although the symptoms of Parkinsons Disease may be slowed down, the disease has eventually killed every person ever afflicted with it. To the best of my knowledge and research, no person has ever been cured. More often than not a person afflicted with this disease dies from something else. The disease has such profound effects on the mind and the body that complications always arise. If a person with Parkinsons Disease does not die from something else, they eventually die from one or more organs systems shutting down. Although Parkinsons Disease primarily effects the voluntary muscle systems, but in advanced cases interferes with the smooth muscles associated with the heart, lungs, and digestive tract.
Symptoms In most cases of Parkinsons disease, evidence of the disease begins with a tremor in the hand when at rest. This decreases when the hand is moving purposefully and can stop completely when resting. Although shaking begins in one hand, this tremor can progress to the other hand, the arms and the legs. The jaw, tongue, forehead, or eyelids may be effected by a tremor.
In about one third of all cases, however, the tremor isnt the first symptom, and in others it never develops. Other symptoms include difficulty initiating a movement; muscle rigidity; stooped posture and difficulty with balance; and a less-expressive face due to facial-muscle impairment. This lack of expression may be taken for depression; in some cases people with Parkinsons will, in fact, become depressed. Loss of mental sharpness may also occur and can be found in 30 % of cases within seven to 10 years. Another lesser known symptom of Parkinsons Disease is known as restless feet syndrome. Parkinsons Disease creates an uncontrollable need to move the lower legs and feet.
For many PD sufferers this is one of the worst symptoms, they simply cant sit down or even lay in bed. They must stand up, with their full weight on their feet, if they dont all the muscles in their lower legs will begin to flex and spasm until muscle cramps literally bring them to tears. Parkinsons-related macular degeneration (PMD) is a disease that affects your central vision. It is a common cause of vision loss among sufferers of Parkinsons Disease. Only the center of your vision is usually affected, and luckily people rarely go blind from the disease. Unlike age-related macular degeneration (AMD), PMD is accompanied by severe dry eyes.
PD sufferers with PMD must use copious amounts of eye drops and in severe cases must use eye grease to be comfortable. PMD often requires the lower tear ducts to be surgically closed in order for the eyes to remain moist. Parkinsons disease symptoms occur in five stages. In the first stage symptoms appear only on one side of the body, with minimal or no functional impairment. The second stage shows symptoms on both sides of the body without impairing balance.
During the third, posture may be off-balance, restricting some activities. In the fourth stage, there is an inability to walk or stand unassisted. In the fifth stage, those with Parkinsons may be restricted to bed or a wheelchair unless aided. Western Medical Treatment The most common conventional treatment for PD is the use of drugs such as L-dopa medications, selegiline (diphenyl and eldepryl), drugs that block the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, and anticholinergic drugs, which reduce the amount of acetylcholine produced in the brain. Reducing the amount of acetylcholine in the brain corrects the imbalance between dopamine and acetylcholine. Surgical procedures such as pallidotomy are also proving successful in the treatment of PD.
Pallidotomy is a procedure in which a small portion of the globus pallidum, a structure deep within the brain, is surgically destroyed, resulting in improved motor functioning. Doctors are also finding great success in eliminating tremors by implanting electrodes in the brain. Currently, testing only allows the electrode to be implanted on one side of the brain so if patients have tremors on both sides of the body, they must choose which side they wanted treated. Antioxidants have been shown to slow down the progression of existing Parkinsons.
Dr. Stanley Fan of Columbia University has found that PD patients given large doses of oral vitamin C and synthetic vitamin E delayed the progression of their disease to the point where they delayed the need for L-dopa by 2. 5 years. Inasmuch as vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant and is particularly adept in quenching hydroxyl radicals (the main culprits in the dopamine-cell destruction), it is becoming increasingly clear that this vitamin may be an excellent preventive of PD, and may help in slowing down the progression of the disease. Alternative Treatments Alternative therapies for the treatment of Parkinsons are becoming more common because they are proving to slow the progression of the disease in its early stages. Some of these treatments include supplementation with vitamins C, B and E, co-enzyme Q- 10; controlled diet, relaxation therapy (to alleviate stress which aggravates PD); and detoxification to eliminate as much metal toxicity as possible.
Herbs also may be used synergistically with the appropriate drugs used to treat Parkinsons disease. For example, passion flower was found to improve the effectiveness of the drug L-dopa (levodopa). It reduces the passive tremor when used with L-dopa. (more than when using L-dopa alone. ) However, passion flower only has minimal effect if used alone. Ginkgo biloba is thought to scavenge free radicals and boost circulation to the brain and is therefor also taken by practitioners of alternative medicine. Practitioners of reflexology believe that the brain, head, and spine all respond to indirect massage.
To help ease the tremors of Parkinsons, practitioners will walk their thumb across the reflexology area for the diaphragm and solar plexus (see diagram below). Working areas for the brain and spinal column may help stabilize the nervous system and be beneficial for people afflicted with Parkinsons Disease. According to some studies by acupuncturists, Parkinsons disease may be accompanied by an imbalance of energy along one or more meridians. The muscle stiffness, soreness, and imbalance of Parkinsons may be alleviated by a series of treatments by encouraging the flow of energy or by addressing the tremors and the hardening of the muscles directly.
This treatment otherwise known as pressure-point massage, is used to reduce symptoms such as nausea, excessive salivation, anxiety, or muscle pain. Acupressure is also used to impart vital energy. Acupressure may be of some use as a short-term, supportive attempt to treat concomitant symptoms. Some case reports and field studies claim efficacy; however, success is probably seen in only a small proportion of patients. Life Changes Watching my grandfather progress from one stage to the next has been the hardest things Ive ever done. I cherish each chance I get to go see him.
Though each time I see him, I leave almost in depression myself. Over the past six years his lifestyle and mine have had to change in order to cope with this disease. Joe is currently in stage three, he suffers from severe restless feet syndrome and has had eye surgery twice to try and correct his PMD and dry eyes. He and my grandmother (Sam) have a fifth-wheel trailer that they like to take vacations in.
Since Joes PMD is so far advanced he is unable to drive and even has a hard time being in bright sunlight. Joe used to be able to work me into the ground, as a young man I used to dread going to the farm for a work day. These days Joe can only walk for about 500 yards before he has to sit down and rest. When its hot outside 500 yards becomes more like 50. Knowing that your body is slowly dying is hard to deal with even if you have an iron will. Joe is in a constant battle with depression and suffers from horrible nightmares that cut his sleep into fit-full four hour naps.
Joe must take a nap each day after lunch to fight the constant battle with lethargy. The turn of the millennium brought new life to my grandfather, he has progressed to the point where he just wants to enjoy every day like it is his last. He travels as much as he can and spends every waking minute doing all the things he enjoys. Much the way I would if I were diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease. One day this summer, when he and I were fishing, Joe asked me to make sure that he would never kept alive by machines.
He told me he had accepted the fact that God would call him soon and that, there is no use fighting it, besides then I wont hurt anymore. At first, I couldnt promise him that I would pull the plug but, after listening to him I decided that his wishes would be my my wishes. I, very much like Joe, decided that day that I never wanted to be a burden on my family simply to life like a vegetable. I did not want to live out my days alone in a hospital room. When God takes me, I want to fade away into the light with memories of my loved ones fresh in my mind.
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