Introduction - Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It was first described in 1817 by James Parkinson, a British physician who published an article on what he called "the shaking palsy." In this article, outlined the main symptoms of the disease that later bear his name.



Investigators believe at least 500,000 people in the United States currently suffer from Parkinson's disease, though some estimates are much higher. Society pays an enormous price for the disease. The estimated total cost for the country exceeds $ 6.000 million annually.

What is Parkinson's disease? - Parkinson's disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. The four main symptoms are tremor, or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw or head, stiffness, or stiffness of limbs and trunk, bradykinesia, or slowness of movement, and postural instability, or impaired balance. These symptoms usually begin gradually and worsen over time. As you become more pronounced, patients may have difficulty walking, talking or completing other simple tasks. Not all those with one or more of these symptoms have the disease because symptoms may also appear in other diseases.

Early Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms are subtle and occur gradually. Affected people may feel mild tremors or have difficulty getting up from a chair. They may notice they speak very softly or that their handwriting is slow and seems tight or small. They can lose track of a word or a thought, or may feel tired, irritable, or depressed for no apparent reason.

The Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms often begin on one side of the body. However, as it evolves, the disease eventually affects both sides. Even after the disease involves both sides of the body, symptoms often are less severe on one side than the other. The four primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:

Tremor. The tremor associated with the disease has a characteristic appearance. Typically, the tremor takes the form of a rhythmic forward and backward at a rate of 4-6 beats per second.
Stiffness. The stiffness, or resistance to movement, affects most people with Parkinson's disease. An important principle of body movement is that all muscles have an opposing muscle. The movement is possible not just because one muscle becomes more active, but because the opposing muscle relaxes.

Bradykinesia. Bradykinesia, or the delay and loss of spontaneous and automatic movement, is particularly frustrating because it can make simple tasks rather difficult.
Postural instability. Postural instability, or impaired balance, causes patients to fall easily. Affected people may develop a stooped posture in which the head is bowed and shoulders slumped.
Depression. This is a common problem and may appear early in the course of the disease, even before other symptoms are noticed.

Emotional changes. Some people with PD become fearful and insecure.
Difficulty in swallowing and chewing. The muscles used for swallowing may work less efficiently in later stages of the disease.
Changes in speech. About half of patients with the disease have problems of speaking.
Urinary problems or constipation. In some patients, may be problems with the bladder and bowel due to malfunction of the autonomic nervous system responsible for regulating smooth muscle activity.

Skin problems. In Parkinson's disease, it is common that the skin of the face becomes very oily, particularly on the forehead and sides of the nose. The scalp may become oily, causing dandruff;
Trouble sleeping. Common sleep problems in Parkinson's disease include difficulty staying asleep at night, restless sleep, nightmares and emotional dreams, and drowsiness or sudden onset of sleep during the day.