April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. This year, the initiative is to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease and all of the available resources that have developed to make life better for people with this disease. Listed below is valuable information regarding this disease as the Parkinson’s Foundation celebrates and offers awareness all of this month.
Help Spread the Word
The Parkinson’s Foundation can reach so many more people with your help. They have put together a quick guide with a few easy ways you can get involved from the comfort of your home. Listed below are some ways to get involved.
Events – The foundation offers great events of all types. Fitness classes, education seminars, Expert Briefing webinars and more. Join us virtually and you’ll be sure to #KnowMorePD by the end of each event.
Podcast – The foundation has a podcast. Every other Tuesday, a new episode of Substantial Matters: Life and Science of Parkinson’s. Episodes focus on a range of topics relevant to your daily life, including new medications, exercise, clinical trials, nutrition and more!
Publications – The PD Library is an extensive collection of books, fact sheets, videos, podcasts and more that can help you #KnowMorePD. All of the foundation’s books are also now available on Kindle!
Social media – Follow along and engage with @ParkinsonDotOrg on your social media platform of choice for the newest information to help you #KnowMorePD.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
It is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra.
Symptoms
They generally develop slowly over years. The progression of symptoms is often a bit different from one person to another due to the diversity of the disease.
People with PD may experience:
· Tremor, mainly at rest and described as pill rolling tremor in hands. Other forms of tremor are possible
· Bradykinesia
· Limb rigidity
· Gait and balance problems
Causes
The cause remains largely unknown. Although there is no cure, treatment options vary and include medications and surgery. While Parkinson’s itself is not fatal, disease complications can be serious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rated complications from PD as the 14th cause of death in the United States. Scientists believe a combination of genetic and environmental factors are the cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is an extremely diverse disorder. While no two people experience Parkinson’s the same way, there are some commonalities. PD affects about one million people in the United States and ten million worldwide. The main finding in brains of people with PD is loss of dopaminergic neurons in the area of the brain known as the substantia nigra.
Source of Information: Various Google Searches
Until Next Week, Stay Safe and Well!
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