The Realities About the Tremulous Nature of Parkinson's Disease

In October of 2006, a friend of mine consulted his doctor and was diagnosed to be suffering from Parkinson's disease. Prior to his deciding to see his doctor, he was complaining incessantly of experiencing uncontrollable shaking in his right hand which occurs intermittently. According to him, this trembling in his right hand at first takes place whenever he is under stress; a little later, it occurs even while he is at rest. Much later on, he said that he is already experiencing the trembling on both his arms and legs.

Besides the conditions described by my friend, Parkinson's disease carries other early symptoms. Included here are the lack of muscle flexibility and slowness of movement. The affected individual also finds it increasingly difficult to initiate movements. Somehow, the doctors' pronouncement that it may take years for an individual with Parkinson's disease to be seriously disabled provides comfort to the sufferer.

When a person is diagnosed of having Parkinson's disease, what precisely goes wrong? I remember asking my friend's doctor this very question as I really wanted to learn everything there is to know about Parkinson's disease. I thought that by being cognizant of this disease, I will be able to help my friend more effectively in alleviating his condition.

Once Parkinson's disease sets in, it is highly possible that certain nerve cells situated in the basal ganglia (the masses of gray matter in each cerebral hemisphere, which guarantee progress of movement that is free from any difficulty) have ceased carrying on their functions normally. Under ordinary conditions, these nerve cells produce dopamine, a chemical that serves as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine allows the nerve cells to send signals to one another and to the muscle fibers. Deficiency in the supply of this chemical can result to a state of utter confusion in the signals between the nerve cells and the muscle fibers. In the event of such confusion, the tremulous symptoms characteristic of Parkinson's disease are likely to occur.

While there may be some treatments available for Parkinson's disease, there is as yet no known permanent cure for this disease. Some of the tried and tested treatment methods often carry dramatic results in reducing the symptoms of the disease. Certain physical therapies, for example, aim to improve the speaking and movement abilities of the sufferer. On the other hand, certain medications, especially those containing L-dopa, or levodopa (a substance that serves as a building block of dopamine), have known side effects. It is important for the doctor to closely keep track of the dosage when administering this medication. This is crucial as it will ensure that the medication will provide the desired effect of relieving the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, simultaneous with its keeping the number and grievousness of side effects to a minimum.

Completely grasping the condition my friend is in, I realize that the responsibility of support falls unequivocally on the relatives and friends of the Parkinson's disease sufferer. That, of course, includes me. [Read the Original Article]