April is Parkinson's Awareness Month
Posted 04-10-2015 at 01:53 PM by info4yourlife2015
Parkinson's Awareness Month draws attention to the second most common neurodegenerative illness in the world. Currently, almost 100,000 Canadians live with Parkinson's – and this number is expected to dramatically increase with an aging baby boomer population.
Parkinson's disease, which involves significant loss of proper movement and balance control, is most commonly diagnosed at 50 to 60 years of age – although diagnosis can occur at a much younger age.
The severity of Parkinson's and how it impacts an individual varies from person to person. The symptoms are predominantly characterized by problems with body movements. These symptoms include tremors or shaking (often in the hand, arm or leg), rigidity or stiffness in muscles, slowness of movement, and poor balance and instability. As the disease progresses, these symptoms can worsen to the point where a person becomes dependent on others to perform even basic activities, such as help getting out of a chair and turning over in bed.
While there is presently no cure for Parkinson's, there are a number of treatments, both drug and therapy based, used to help control symptoms and improve quality of life.
“The initial goal of drug treatment is to lessen the symptoms and to reduce disability without inducing complications over the long term,” says Dr. Ranjit Ranawaya, a neurologist and expert in movement disorders. “Surgery, including the implantation of deep brain stimulators, as well as new therapies such as DUODOPA can improve the quality of life for those with advanced stages of disease.”
Parkinson Alberta (PA) is an Alberta-based charitable organization dedicated to helping those affected by the disease through support, education, advocacy and research. The breadth and depth of the services PA provides make a real, positive and lasting impact on those living with the disease.
Parkinson's disease, which involves significant loss of proper movement and balance control, is most commonly diagnosed at 50 to 60 years of age – although diagnosis can occur at a much younger age.
The severity of Parkinson's and how it impacts an individual varies from person to person. The symptoms are predominantly characterized by problems with body movements. These symptoms include tremors or shaking (often in the hand, arm or leg), rigidity or stiffness in muscles, slowness of movement, and poor balance and instability. As the disease progresses, these symptoms can worsen to the point where a person becomes dependent on others to perform even basic activities, such as help getting out of a chair and turning over in bed.
While there is presently no cure for Parkinson's, there are a number of treatments, both drug and therapy based, used to help control symptoms and improve quality of life.
“The initial goal of drug treatment is to lessen the symptoms and to reduce disability without inducing complications over the long term,” says Dr. Ranjit Ranawaya, a neurologist and expert in movement disorders. “Surgery, including the implantation of deep brain stimulators, as well as new therapies such as DUODOPA can improve the quality of life for those with advanced stages of disease.”
Parkinson Alberta (PA) is an Alberta-based charitable organization dedicated to helping those affected by the disease through support, education, advocacy and research. The breadth and depth of the services PA provides make a real, positive and lasting impact on those living with the disease.
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