Are Your Tremors Associated with Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disorder that affects the body’s motor system. This disease commonly manifests in distinctive tremors, where one shakes or shudders involuntarily. Such tremors are usually temporary, but they may also be seen as continual shaking of the hands, head, legs, and other parts of the body. For some, these tremors can be severe enough to impair movement or even daily activities.
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is still unknown and there is no known cure for it at this time. There are medications such as Levodopa which can treat the symptoms of PD by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Other than that, physical therapies and exercise may help manage the symptoms of this disease as well as relieve them. However, medical professionals do not know if any of these methods will stop the progression of the disease itself.
For those who suspect they may have Parkinson’s disease, it is important to consult a doctor first before making any decisions on how to best manage their condition. If you think you might have PD, speak to a neurosurgeon or neurologist about the condition. It is also important to undergo tests to rule out other conditions with similar signs, such as essential tremors.
Understanding Parkinson’s Pathology
Doctors are still not sure of what causes Parkinson’s disease, but researchers have found that there are factors that increase your chances of getting PD. These include age, family history, and genes. If you have a first-degree relative with the disease, then your risk will increase by 20 – 50%. This risk increases if both parents of an affected individual have the disease. Scientists have yet to determine how genetic mutations cause neurons in the brain to die off, which leads to Parkinson’s disease. One theory suggests that some people may be more genetically susceptible than others because dopamine production declines over time. In other words, your body becomes less efficient at producing dopamine as you get older. As a result, it will begin to lose cells in the brain which produce this important chemical.
Age also plays an important factor in increasing your risk of getting Parkinson’s disease. Although rare cases have been reported in people younger than 40 years old, most patients are diagnosed after their 50s or 60s. Generally speaking, the older you are when symptoms first appear, the more advanced they may become over time. People who get PD later in life tend to respond better to treatment compared to those who develop the disease earlier on.
How Parkinson’s Disease Tremors are Unique?
It is important to understand that Parkinson’s disease tremors are different from other kinds of tremors. The former only occurs in one part of the body, normally on one side at a time. In addition to this characteristic movement, PD tremors also consist of a shaking or trembling movement which can be felt all over the body. In contrast, essential tremors tend to affect both sides of the body and may cause shaking in short bursts instead. Here are 10 points to differentiate the Parkinson’s disease tremors-
- Both hands tremble.
- Tremors occur in one side of the body at a time.
- Tremor is progressive and gets worse over time, which may also affect the head, neck, face, or voice box.
- Tremor worsens when stress levels are high.
- Motion tends to make tremors disappear temporarily. For example, if you put your arms out straight to either side it will stop for a certain period of time but then return after a few seconds or minutes.
- One-sided resting tremors that get better with movement and worsen with rest or sleep – especially later in the evening – are characteristic of Parkinson’s disease rather than essential tremors which stay about the same.
- Tremors are usually the same at rest, in different positions, and with activity.
- The tremor is slower than essential tremors which tend to be around 6-8 Hz (Hertz). Parkinson’s disease tremors are 4-6 Hz.
- Tremor is more obvious in your fingers when writing – doctors call this ‘pill rolling’ due to its resemblance to how a baker rolls pastry dough into a thin sheet before cutting out shapes for cakes or pies.
- Patients with Parkinson’s disease have slowness of movement, rigidity, postural instability, and gait difficulty. They also can have issues speaking so their voice may sound monotonous due to the slowing down of the vocal cords.
Believe, Parkinson’s disease is not just about tremors. And Ayurvedic treatment for Parkinson’s disease can solve all your problems- whether tremors or slow movements.
