Parkinson's Disease - Term Paper Example

Parkinsons disease is found all over the world and all different races. Parkinsons is the 4th leading cause of death for older adults and rising. The symptoms of Parkinsons disease are numerous. The first which is usually the "tip off" is shaking of a limb especially if the body is at rest. Other systems are sleep disturbances, slow movement, not being able to move, personality changes, rigid limbs, speech impairments, sexual difficulties, dementia, and depression. People with this disease usually walk with a shuffling gait, and a stooped posture.

The severity of Parkinsons tends to worsen over time. There is no definite answer what causes Parkinsons but there are many theories. Many believe that it is a genetically inherited disease that is passed on from generation to generation. There are also connections with the illegal drug MPTP, and many of the people who get Parkinsons are people that got a server cause of influenza during an epidemic in the early 1900s. This disease might also because by chemicals or other types of pollution that were unaware of or that were unaware that were in feting are selves.

Parkinsons disease has no confirmed date of when it was first found but researchers have documents of what they think is Parkinsons disease as far back as 3,000 BC. There is no definite cure for Parkinsons disease. Doctors usually prescribe levodopa which increases dopamine levels in the brain. In server cases some patients get brain surgery and implants have been done or used. A surgery which takes dopamine-producing tissue is transplanted into the brain is now being tested. If the surgery works it will prevent the dopamine-producing brain cells from dying.

The 4 major symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are "Tremor" which is the rhythmic back and forth motion of the hands and fingers, "Rigidity" or a resistance to movement, in which there is a stiffness of the muscles. "Bradykinesia" (Brady-slow, kinesis-movement) or the slowing down and failure of