What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease refers to a progressive nervous system-based disorder affecting the way, in which an individual moves, including his way of speaking or writing and other daily activities. Symptoms of this problem develop gradually and may even start with mild tremors in either of the two hands. People suffering from this problem may even deal with muscles stiffness and face difficulty in carrying out their body movements rapidly. Moreover, in some cases, muscles of a patient become weak, while he experiences an unusual body posture. The problem thus categorizes itself under movement disorders.
Who May Be Trapped with Parkinson’s Disease?
Until now, doctors have evidence clearly the following risk factors associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Advancing Age of a Person
Most of the research studies have revealed that the problem usually takes place in human beings during the middle to later years of human life. Moreover, the risk associated with the Parkinson’s disease continues, as a person becomes old. Few researchers have even assumed that people suffering from Parkinson’s disease even suffered from neural damages because of environmental or genetic factors, which become further worse with age.
Males or Females
Males have relatively higher chances to suffer from Parkinson’s disease than females. Probable reasons are males have higher exposure to various risk factors, such as head trauma or toxin exposure. According to theories, estrogen comes with various neuro-protective effects or if there is genetic predisposition, predisposing of someone towards the problem may link with X chromosome.
Family History
If you have close relatives suffering with Parkinson’s disease, it would increase the likelihood of suffering from the respective problem but to a relatively low degree. This gives support to the concept of genetic link in the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Declining of Estrogen Levels
Postmenopausal individuals not using the therapy of hormone replacement therapy always remain at a huge risk of Parkinson’s disease, as similar to those people suffering from the problem of hysterectomies.
Agricultural Work
Consistent exposure to various environment toxins, like herbicides and pesticides and others while doing agricultural work creates relatively higher risk to cause Parkinson’s disease among men and women. Even a few of these toxins inhibit the production of dopamine in nerve cells of human brain and promote damages of free radicals. Because of this, individuals involved in farming and agriculture activities often exposed to harmful toxins and thereby, have relatively higher prevalence of the Parkinson’s problems as well as related symptoms.
Genetic Factors
International study conducted by a few medical researchers has highlighted the role of gene alphasynuclein in the likelihood to develop the Parkinson’s disease. Studies have revealed that people possessing relatively higher active gene remain at more than 1.5 times of big risk related to the development of Parkinson’s disease. These findings even supported the fact related to development of alpha-synuclein to suppress therapies, which may become slow or may halt the problem in future.
Low Levels of Folic Acid or Vitamin B
Most of the doctors, nutritionists and researchers have identified that humans dealing with the deficiency of Vitamin B, known commonly as Folic Acid are likely to deal with severe symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, while others with regular levels do not deal with it.
Head Trauma
Latest research study has highlighted a link between damages cause to one’s neck, head or upper part of the cervical spine and Parkinson’s disease. During the year 2007, doctors conducted a study of 60 different patients, all of whom showed evidence related to brain/head trauma inducing upper cervical damages. Few of the patients have successfully remembered a particular incident, while others failed to memorize it. However, in some of the cases, symptoms of Parkinson’s require a few decades to come.
Most of the individuals may deal with only one or two of the aforementioned risk factors, but they never experience any specific symptom related to the problems. However, a major risk factor that every one of us possesses is advancing age.
Also Read:
- Parkinson’s Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Investigations, Treatment
- What Happens To Someone With Parkinson’s Disease?
- What Are The Early Signs Of Parkinson’s Disease?
- What is the Life Expectancy of Someone with Parkinson’s Disease?
- Why do People With Parkinson’s Lose Weight?
- How Long Does It Take For Parkinson’s Disease To Progress?
- Do all Parkinson’s Patients Develop Dementia?
