Written by Italian Physiotherapy student Sara Giovanardi
April 11th is the birthday of Dr. James Parkinson, the first physician to recognise Parkinson’s as a medical condition.
In 2005 the tulip was adopted as the official symbol of Parkinson’s during the 9th World Parkinson’s disease day conference. However, the flower had been informally associated with the disease for more than 20 years prior to that.
In fact in 1980, a Dutch horticulturalist named J. W. S Van del Wereld, who was living with Parkinson’s, developed a new red and white variant of the tulip and he named it the dr. James Parkinson tulip, in honour of the doctor.
Today wearing the red tulip raises awareness and shows support for people living with Parkinson’s and their family globally.
About Parkinson’s disease
It’s a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and causes unintended or uncontrollable movements. Symptoms usually begin gradually and they may be barely noticeable but they worsen over time.
Anyone could be at risk for developing Parkinson’s but some research suggest this disease affects more men than women even though it’s unclear why.
One clear risk is age: most people with Parkinson’s develop the first symptoms after age 60, about 5-10% experience onset before age 50.
Early-onset of Parkinson’s are often inherited and some forms are linked to specific genes alterations.
Many researchers now believe that Parkinson’s results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Common symptoms
Certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually break down or die. Many of the symptoms are due to a loss of neurons that produce a chemical messenger in our brain called dopamine. When the dopamine levels decrease, it causes atypical brain activity, leading to impaired movement and other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Early symptoms of this disease are subtle and occur gradually. They are usually divide in Motor and Non-Motor symptoms.
- Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
- Muscle stiffness, where muscle remains contracted for a long time
- Slowness of movement
- Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls
- Depression and other emotional changes
- Difficulty swallowing, chewing, and speaking
- Urinary problems or constipation
- Skin problems
An interesting fact is that many people with Parkinson’s desease notes that prior to experience all this symptoms they had problem sleeping, constipation and loss of smell!
Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medicine, surgical treatment and other therapies can often relieve some symptoms, and if the symptoms improve after starting to take the medication, it’s a very solid indicator that the person has Parkinson’s. The most common medicine is Levodopa, it helps the brain cells to release dopamine.
For the people who do not respond well to medication, one surgical treatment that was found to be very successful is deep brain stimulation. A doctor implant electrodes into part of the brain and connects them to a small electrical device implanted in the chest. The device stimulates specific areas in the brain that control movement in a way that may help stop many of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Prevention and interesting facts
Because the cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, there are no proven ways to prevent the disease.
Some research has shown that people who consume caffeine – which is found in coffee, tea and cola – get Parkinson disease less often than those who don’t drink it. Green tea is also related to a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. However, it is still not known whether caffeine protects against getting Parkinson’s or is related in some other way. Currently there is not enough evidence to suggest that drinking caffeinated beverages protects against Parkinson’s.
It is however possible to have a good to great quality of life with PD. You have to work with your doctor to create a plan to stay healthy. This might include a referral to a neurologist, care from an occupational therapist, physical therapist or speech therapist, meeting with a medical social worker to talk about how Parkinson’s will affect your life, start a regular exercise program to delay further symptoms! Another very important thing to do is talk with family and friends who can provide you with the psychological and emotional support you need.
A story about Parkinson
Mags’s diagnosis coincided with the life-changing events of relocating, retirement and her mum passing away.
“Looking back, I almost felt worse before I found out about Parkinson’s than I did afterwards,” says Mags. “I was definitely not very buoyant at points - that’s probably the best way to put it.”
Since then, Mags has been quietly determined. “I’ve achieved more than I expected and Parkinson’s has almost been irrelevant in that.
“Of course, a day without it would be quite nice to experience,” she concedes. “I’m stiffer than I used to be – I used to skip over stiles, but I now take things a bit more slowly and steady.
“I also don’t sleep as well as I did. Although lots of people I know don’t sleep too well, so that may just be an age thing!
“But my family is a huge support and I have some lovely friends I’ve made through the running community – all people I never knew 10 years ago.
“My aim has always been to keep control of the condition. For me, when it comes to Parkinson’s, there are no barriers.”
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support/your-magazine/stories/when-it-comes-parkinsons-there-are-no-barriers
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055