Support For People Living With Parkinsons Disease
While the progression of Parkinsons is usually slow, eventually a persons daily routines may be affected. Activities such as working, taking care of a home, and participating in social activities with friends may become challenging. Experiencing these changes can be difficult, but support groups can help people cope. These groups can provide information, advice, and connections to resources for those living with Parkinsons disease, their families, and caregivers. The organizations listed below can help people find local support groups and other resources in their communities.
What You Can Do
As of 2021, there is no definite cure for Parkinsons disease. There is also no definite known cause. Its likely due to a combination of an individuals susceptibility and environmental factors. Most cases of Parkinsons disease happen without a genetic link.
According to research published in 2012, only report having a family member with the disease. Many toxins are suspected and have been studied, but no single substance can be reliably linked to Parkinsons.
However, research is ongoing. Its estimated that
Box : Depression In Parkinsons Disease
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Depression is very common in Parkinsons disease, affecting nearly a third of patients.
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Diagnosis of depression requires a high index of suspicion as some of the features of Parkinsons diseasefor example, masked facies and bradyphrenia, can cause difficulty in diagnosis.
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Depression is significantly associated with the poor quality of life in Parkinsons disease.
The subtle form of cognitive impairment in the form of slowness in thinking and word finding difficulty occurs in a majority of patients. This is usually not a significant problem for the patient, as it does not hinder day-to-day activities and responsibilities. Dementia refers to cognitive impairment of sufficient magnitude to hinder daily activities or diminish the quality of life. It is a syndrome of global decline of intellect, memory, and personality. Dementia is reported in approximately 20%44% of patients, but prevalence varies depending on the age of the patient, duration and severity of the disease, presence of depression, and the assessment scale used. A recent survey showed a sixfold increase in the risk of developing dementia in patients with Parkinsons disease over controls. A prevalence as high as 90% can be found among Parkinson patients in a nursing home, as dementia is the commonest cause of institutionalisation in those with Parkinsons disease.
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How To Administer Cbd For Parkinsons Disease
If youre about to use CBD for the first time, you may be wondering how to take it the right way to maximize the benefits for Parkinsons disease.
You can buy CBD in various forms, including:
- CBD oil . CBD can be swallowed or absorbed sublingually . This is a good option if you dont like to take capsules and want to precisely measure out your dose. The calming effects of CBD usually take hold around 15-30 minutes after ingestion and may last for up to 6 hours.
- Capsules. This form of CBD is a good option if youre looking for a premeasured dose of CBD in your supplement. You just take as many capsules as recommended by your physician. The downside of taking CBD capsules is their delayed onset and lower bioavailability since they have to pass through the digestive system before reaching the bloodstream.
- Edibles.CBD-infused is becoming more popular these days. Gummies are by far the most common option. They work in a similar manner to capsules. They usually kick in after 40120 minutes and last for up to 10 hours. Edibles are a discreet way to deliver a dose of CBD.
- Topicals. Products like lotions and creams may be effective for localized problems because they deliver the CBD to the cannabinoid receptors located in the deeper layer of the skin. From there, CBD can produce its soothing effects on the body, reducing inflammation, stiffness, and pain.
Final Thoughts On Using Cbd Oil For Parkinsons
There is no cure for Parkinsons disease. Once diagnosed, patients can only slow their progression.
However, there are ways to manage its pesky symptoms. One of them is using CBD oil. If youre planning to try it out, remember to make an appointment with your doctor first. This is to make sure that you dont experience any side effects of potential drug interactions. In addition, your doctor can also give you professional advice on finding the right dose.
Although more research is needed to confirm the benefits of CBD oil for Parkinsons disease, the best product that may support official treatment is Royal CBD oil. Made from organic hemp and using supercritical CO2, this product is pure, safe, and available in a wide range of potencies to suit different CBD needs.
Do you know anyone who takes CBD oil to cope with the symptoms of Parkinsons disease? Does it help? Let us know in the comment section below!
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Impact On Families And Carers
Informal carers spendmany hours dailyproviding care for people living with PD.This can be overwhelming. Physical, emotional and financial pressures can cause great stress to families and carers, and support is required from the health, social, financial and legal systems. Useful support resources from other conditions can be drawn upon, such as WHOs iSupport programme for dementia.
Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually develop gradually and are mild at first.
There are many different symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Some of the more common symptoms are described below.
However, the order in which these develop and their severity is different for each individual. It’s unlikely that a person with Parkinson’s disease would experience all or most of these.
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Impaired Posture And Balance
Postural instability is the most difficult Parkinsons symptom to treat, and one of the most important criteria for diagnosing Parkinsons.
Postural instability is the inability to balance due to loss of postural reflexes and often leads to falls. Patients with impaired posture and balance might revert to a stooped posture and have a shuffling gait.
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Support For People With Parkinsons Disease
Early access to a multidisciplinary support team is important. These teams may include doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians, social workers and specialist nurses. Members of the team assess the person with Parkinsons disease and identify potential difficulties and possible solutions.There are a limited number of multidisciplinary teams in Victoria that specialise in Parkinsons disease management. But generalist teams are becoming more aware of how to help people with Parkinsons disease.
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Anxiety In Idiopathic Parkinsons Disease
Symptoms of anxiety are common in Parkinsons disease. The prevalence of anxiety has been reported to be around 30% in some of the studies. Anxiety can be a part of depression and thus may respond to antidepressants with sedative effects. It can also be a manifestation of the cognitive impairment, a side effect of the dopaminergic medications, or a part of the mood swings noted in patients with on-off periods. It is, therefore, important to take a detailed history from the patient or the carer.
Weakening Sense Of Smell And Taste
This may be due to degeneration of the anterior olfactory nucleus and olfactory bulb, one of the first parts of the brain affected by Parkinsons. This can happen so gradually that youre not even aware of it.
Losing your sense of smell and taste can make you lose interest in food. You may miss out on important nutrients and lose weight.
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Aetiopathology Of Dementia In Parkinsons Disease
Deficits in dopaminergic, cholinergic, and noradrenergic mechanisms have been proposed as the basis of cognitive impairment in Parkinsons disease. However, there is no direct evidence for or against this postulation. In some patients, dopaminergic drugs provide benefit in cognition when treated for off periods. In a recent study, reduced fluorodopa uptake in Parkinsons disease in the caudate nucleus was related to impairment in neuropsychological tests measuring verbal fluency, working memory, and attentional functioning . This indicates that dysfunction of the dopamine system has an impact on the cognitive impairment of patients with Parkinsons disease. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors may be useful because of their cholinergic effects. Defective noradrenergic transmission is considered to be important for attention deficit.
Opening The Medicine Box In The Mind: The Psychology Of Pain
In this 50-minute lecture, Beth Darnall, PhD explains how our experience of pain goes beyond the physical sensation of pain. It has emotional and psychological components that affect our ability to treat pain. She cites research to demonstrate that and shares 13 specific tips to reduce the experience of pain and increase treatment effectiveness. Audience questions follow the lecture.
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How Is Parkinsons Disease Diagnosed
Diagnosing Parkinsons disease is sometimes difficult, since early symptoms can mimic other disorders and there are no specific blood or other laboratory tests to diagnose the disease. Imaging tests, such as CT or MRI scans, may be used to rule out other disorders that cause similar symptoms.
To diagnose Parkinsons disease, you will be asked about your medical history and family history of neurologic disorders as well as your current symptoms, medications and possible exposure to toxins. Your doctor will look for signs of tremor and muscle rigidity, watch you walk, check your posture and coordination and look for slowness of movement.
If you think you may have Parkinsons disease, you should probably see a neurologist, preferably a movement disorders-trained neurologist. The treatment decisions made early in the illness can affect the long-term success of the treatment.
Stages Of Parkinsons Symptoms
Parkinsons symptoms can be divided into three categories or phases: pre-motor, motor, and cognitive. These phases dont necessarily happen in chronological order, and not all Parkinsons patients will experience all symptoms.
The premotor phase is the phase of Parkinsons in which non-motor symptoms are present. These symptoms include:
There are two main categories of tremor: resting tremor, and action tremor. Resting tremor occurs when muscles are relaxed, like when your hands are sitting in your lap, and lessen during sleep or when the body part is in use. Action tremors occur with the voluntary movements of a muscle.
Tremors typically affect only one side of the body but may affect both sides as the disease progresses. Fatigue, stress, and intense emotion may worsen tremors.
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What Are The Primary Motor Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease
There are four primary motor symptoms of Parkinsons disease:
- postural instability
Observing two or more of these symptoms is the main way that physicians diagnose Parkinsons.
It is important to know that not all of these symptoms must be present for a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease to be considered. In fact, younger people may only notice one or two of these motor symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease. Not everyone with Parkinsons disease has a tremor, nor is a tremor proof of Parkinsons. If you suspect Parkinsons, see a neurologist or movement disorders specialist.
Introducing an easier way to track your symptoms and manage care.
Is Parkinsons Disease Inherited
Scientists have discovered gene mutations that are associated with Parkinsons disease.
There is some belief that some cases of early-onset Parkinsons disease disease starting before age 50 may be inherited. Scientists identified a gene mutation in people with Parkinsons disease whose brains contain Lewy bodies, which are clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein. Scientists are trying to understand the function of this protein and its relationship to genetic mutations that are sometimes seen in Parkinsons disease and in people with a type of dementia called Lewy body dementia.
Several other gene mutations have been found to play a role in Parkinsons disease. Mutations in these genes cause abnormal cell functioning, which affects the nerve cells ability to release dopamine and causes nerve cell death. Researchers are still trying to discover what causes these genes to mutate in order to understand how gene mutations influence the development of Parkinsons disease.
Scientists think that about 10% to 15% of persons with Parkinsons disease may have a genetic mutation that predisposes them to development of the disease. There are also environmental factors involved that are not fully understood.
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Possible Side Effects Of Cbd Oil
Most studies have concluded that CBD is a safe and well-tolerated substance. The WHO issued a complete report on the safety and efficacy of cannabidiol, supporting the earlier findings. CBD rarely causes any side effects, and if they do happen, they tend to be mild.
The side effects of CBD oil include:
CBD can also interact with prescription and non-prescription medications, so make sure to always consult your doctor before taking CBD, especially if youre on medications that are metabolized by the Cytochrome P450 system. If your doctor tells you not to eat grapefruit along with your meds, the same rule applies to CBD because they use an identical mechanism, blocking the p450 system from metabolizing the active ingredients in those medications.
Treating Parkinsons With Complementary Medicine
Complementary medicine incorporates many different practices that can be used alongside conventional medicine to try to ease PD symptoms. There is typically not as much rigorous data to support the use of complementary medicine techniques, as compared to conventional medicine, but many patients find them helpful. These include yoga and massage.
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What Causes Parkinsons Disease
The most prominent signs and symptoms of Parkinsons disease occur when nerve cells in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls movement, become impaired and/or die. Normally, these nerve cells, or neurons, produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine. When the neurons die or become impaired, they produce less dopamine, which causes the movement problems associated with the disease. Scientists still do not know what causes the neurons to die.
People with Parkinsons disease also lose the nerve endings that produce norepinephrine, the main chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many functions of the body, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The loss of norepinephrine might help explain some of the non-movement features of Parkinsons, such as fatigue, irregular blood pressure, decreased movement of food through the digestive tract, and sudden drop in blood pressure when a person stands up from a sitting or lying position.
Many brain cells of people with Parkinsons disease contain Lewy bodies, unusual clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein. Scientists are trying to better understand the normal and abnormal functions of alpha-synuclein and its relationship to genetic mutations that impact Parkinsons andLewy body dementia.
What Medications And Treatments Are Used
Medication treatments for Parkinsons disease fall into two categories: Direct treatments and symptom treatments. Direct treatments target Parkinsons itself. Symptom treatments only treat certain effects of the disease.
Medications
Medications that treat Parkinsons disease do so in multiple ways. Because of that, drugs that do one or more of the following are most likely:
Several medications treat specific symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms treated often include the following:
- Erectile and sexual dysfunction.
- Hallucinations and other psychosis symptoms.
Deep brain stimulation
In years past, surgery was an option to intentionally damage and scar a part of your brain that was malfunctioning because of Parkinsons disease. Today, that same effect is possible using deep-brain stimulation, which uses an implanted device to deliver a mild electrical current to those same areas.
The major advantage is that deep-brain stimulation is reversible, while intentional scarring damage is not. This treatment approach is almost always an option in later stages of Parkinson’s disease when levodopa therapy becomes less effective, and in people who have tremor that doesnt seem to respond to the usual medications.
Experimental treatments
Researchers are exploring other possible treatments that could help with Parkinsons disease. While these arent widely available, they do offer hope to people with this condition. Some of the experimental treatment approaches include:
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What Are The Stages Of Parkinsons
- Stage 1 Symptoms are seen on one side of the body only.
- Stage 2 Symptoms are seen on both sides of the body. There’s no impairment of balance.
- Stage 3 Balance impairment has begun. In this mild to moderate stage of the disease, the person is still physically independent.
- Stage 4 This stage is marked by severe disability. The person is still able to walk or stand unassisted but may need a walker to get around.
- Stage 5 The person requires a wheelchair or is bedridden unless assisted in standing and walking.
Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.
Surgery For People With Parkinsons Disease
Deep brain stimulation surgery is an option to treat Parkinsons disease symptoms, but it is not suitable for everyone. There are strict criteria and guidelines on who can be a candidate for surgery, and this is something that only your doctor and you can decide. Surgery may be considered early or late in the progression of Parkinsons. When performing deep-brain stimulation surgery, the surgeon places an electrode in the part of the brain most effected by Parkinsons disease. Electrical impulses are introduced to the brain, which has the effect of normalising the brains electrical activity reducing the symptoms of Parkinsons disease. The electrical impulse is introduced using a pacemaker-like device called a stimulator. Thalamotomy and pallidotomy are operations where the surgeon makes an incision on part of the brain. These surgeries aim to alleviate some forms of tremor or unusual movement, but they are rarely performed now.
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Comparing Cbd With Levodopa For Parkinsons
Levodopa is an established treatment for Parkinsons disease. Although its not perfect, its currently the most effective treatment for PD. It helps boost the level of dopamine in the brain.
Levodopa is effective at targeting the motor symptoms of the condition, such as tremors or muscle stiffness.
However, this medicine does little to combat the nonmotor symptoms of Parkinsons disease. These are the problems that can significantly affect a persons daily life. They include anxiety, sleep disturbance, fatigue, irritation, and depression.
Furthermore, prolonged use of levodopa may result in side effects like elevated anxiety, agitation, confusion, and nausea. It may also trigger tremors that result from the medication itself, not PD.
CBD appears to help with those nonmotor symptoms and potential side effects, rather than physical problems. A study with more than 200 participants found that regular use of cannabis was highly effective on non-motor symptoms of Parkinsons Disease. However, this study included a combination of THC with CBD, not CBD oil alone.