Parkinson Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Introduction

Parkinson’s disease is a disease that is degenerative in nature, whereby the brain is affected leading to the impairment of functional parts of the body relating to motor movement, speaking and other functions (Perkin, 1998). The major primary cause of this disease is the loss of cells in the brain that produce dopamine (p. 12). Other causes which are secondary in nature include drugs causing toxicity in the body, or it might occur as a result of trauma on the head. Parkinson disease has been associated with people who are mostly fifty years and above and leads to slowing or freezing of movement among those who suffer from it (Fischer, 2007).

The disease can either be genetically caused or as a result of other factors. Genetic predisposition may cause a person to have less dopamine; which performs the task of sending chemical messages to the brain (Smith, 2005). Some people with some specific genetic mutations have been found to get it. Additionally, people who suffer from it are more likely to have relatives that also have the disease. Other causes which are not genetic in nature may be a result of exposure to toxins in the environment. Some toxins present in pesticides and various like iron have been seen as major causes (Goldberg, 2002).

Main body

There are various side effects and symptoms that are associated with this disease. These symptoms are both motor related and non-motor related. The development of the disease is gradual and it mostly starts with subtle tremors in the hands (p. 9). The effects of each individual suffer may differ, and also the rate of progression is not the same. People with this disease experience slowed motion, and ass it progresses, it may impair the ability of one to move voluntarily out of one’s own initiation. Muscles may also become stiff and sometimes painful, and hence reducing a person’s ability to move freely. Further effects include poor posture and balance leading to stooped posture, especially when a person has succumbed to more advanced stages of the disease (Smith, p. 16). The other non motor related symptoms include emotional problems like depression and disruptions in sleep patterns. They encounter problems whereby they have trouble when trying to fall asleep during the night; and also experience sporadic sleep attacks during the day time (Perkin, p. 19). Problems affecting memory start occurring in the later stages of the disease.

Even though Parkinson disease cannot be cured by any known conventional medicine, there are different ways through which it is managed in order to reduce the symptoms. Accurate diagnosis of the disease is very difficult since current laboratory tests have not been able to diagnose sporadic cases of the disease (Goldberg, p. 6). Testing of the disease is mostly done through examination of medical histories and the brains of those who suffer from it. The most effective treatment involves the combination of several medications and occupational therapy (p. 8). Medication treatment includes use of drugs like levodopa and anticholinergics to manage the tremors that occur as a result of the disease (p. 8).

Use of occupational methods in the management of the disease is meant to encourage the regaining of abilities lost by suffers through use of activities that are creative and operative, and that can bring more meaningful recovery. It aims to assist the sufferers to recover lost functionalities and also help in building the capability to carry out daily duties. Occupational treatment also helps persons to come up with new tasks and activities to compensate for the loss of their inability to continue participating in usual activities. Thus, it helps them to adjust to their environment, both physically and socially. Occupational therapy helps in dealing with the symptoms that affect sufferers from being able to do normal activities like pursuing a hobby, doing constructive work or just taking care of oneself.

Areas where occupational therapy is carried out include assisting in providing of handwriting aids and resources to suffer since they have lost co-ordination in their hands (Fischer, p. 35). Other therapies include making various modifications in homes, offices and vehicles that are used by the sufferers. This is meant to promote their independence and productivity. Other occupational therapy activities include modifying the equipment at the workplace and developing new and safe leisure activities. Occupational therapy is mostly combined with physical therapy in order to promote effective management of the disease (Goldberg, p. 8). Physical therapy is associated with the improvement of motor activities and balance in sufferers. Good balanced diet is also important in assisting the body to maintain itself.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Parkinson disease is one the diseases that affects mostly old people and it has been attribute to various factors, both genetic and environmental. Even though it leads to various symptoms and side effects that make it difficult to carry out normal activities, different medications and therapies can be used to manage the disease and help the sufferers live a productive life.

References

Perkin, J. (1998). Speech characteristics in Parkinson’s disease. E-journal of Parkinson disease, 5 (1). Web.

Smith, F. (2005). Comparative analysis of Parkinson’s symptoms. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 122 (3), 21-35. Web.

Goldberg, K. (2002). Voice treatment for Parkinson’s disease: Medical and behavioral perspectives. Advance for Occupational Therapy Practitioners, 56 (7), 7-8. Web.

Fischer, P. (2007). Parkinson’s disease and the U.S. Health care system. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 73 (3), 34-46. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, December 1). Parkinson Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parkinson-disease-diagnosis-and-treatment/

Work Cited

"Parkinson Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment." IvyPanda, 1 Dec. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/parkinson-disease-diagnosis-and-treatment/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'Parkinson Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment'. 1 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "Parkinson Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment." December 1, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parkinson-disease-diagnosis-and-treatment/.

1. IvyPanda. "Parkinson Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment." December 1, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parkinson-disease-diagnosis-and-treatment/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Parkinson Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment." December 1, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parkinson-disease-diagnosis-and-treatment/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1