How does one get Parkinson's disease?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on September 05, 2024
00:00
00:00

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. The actual mechanism of the disease is not very clear, and its fundamental cause has not yet been identified. It is generally believed that Parkinson's disease is mainly caused by the following factors. First, genetic factors. Some cases of Parkinson's disease have a clear familial tendency, where patients may experience mutations in synaptic nuclear protein genes, leading to abnormal aggregation of these proteins. This abnormal aggregation can damage the neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain, leading to Parkinson's disease. Second, there are some external factors related to sporadic cases of Parkinson's. These may be closely related to oxidative stress, trauma, poisoning, or an excessive stress response of the body. However, the specific cause is not very clear. Parkinson's disease, which causes symptoms such as bradykinesia, tremors, and rigidity, requires active treatment to improve the quality of life of the patients.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 4sec home-news-image

Is Parkinson's disease progressing quickly?

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the nervous system that has a very concealed onset and progresses very slowly, making the progression of this disease not rapid. Patients can generally take care of themselves for about three to five years, or even five to ten years, without having to worry too much about this disease. This disease primarily causes patients to experience obvious bradykinesia, mask-like faces, drooling, resting tremors, and increased muscle tone among other clinical manifestations, which can significantly distress patients. However, the progression of this disease is relatively slow, and the signs and symptoms on the left and right sides of the body are also asymmetric. After effective pharmacological treatments, such as commonly used levodopa and dopamine receptor agonists, patients' symptoms can usually be well controlled and the progression is slow. If the disease progresses very quickly, it could potentially be Parkinsonian syndrome.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
51sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease in its early stages may primarily manifest as clumsiness in limb movement, especially in fine motor skills, such as difficulty in wrapping dumplings, rolling dumpling wrappers, or slow buttoning, which are clinical signs of early symptoms. Some patients may initially experience slight trembling in the limbs, which is generally more pronounced during rest and relaxation and diminishes during activity. Additionally, some individuals with early Parkinson's disease primarily exhibit non-motor symptoms, such as constipation, depression, reduced sense of smell, and may also experience rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, characterized by shouting and physical actions like punching or kicking during sleep.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
46sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease begins inconspicuously and progresses gradually. There are two main categories of symptoms in Parkinson's disease: motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms. In the early stages of the disease, one can appear normal, or may experience motor symptoms like bradykinesia or rigidity, often starting asymmetrically. Symptoms commonly begin on one side of the upper limbs, and less frequently start from the lower limbs, eventually spreading to the limbs on the other side. Non-motor symptoms can occur at various stages of Parkinson's disease, including the pre-motor phase, such as loss of smell, sleep disturbances, constipation, depression, and more.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
48sec home-news-image

Can people with Parkinson's disease drink alcohol?

Patients with Parkinson's disease should not drink alcohol. This is primarily due to concerns that due to the symptoms of movement slowness and muscle rigidity, they may exhibit abnormal postural balance, greatly increasing the risk of falling. Consuming alcohol can inhibit the function of the cerebellum, exacerbating limb ataxia and increasing the risk of falling, which poses significant risks to the patient. Therefore, to protect the balance function of patients and prevent the risk of falling, they should not consume alcohol. Additionally, patients with Parkinson's disease often need to take multiple medications for their condition, and these medications should not be taken with alcohol to avoid exacerbating any adverse reactions.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
1min 3sec home-news-image

Parkinson's disease skin symptoms

In Parkinson's disease, there are two main types of clinical manifestations. One is motor symptoms associated with damage to the dopaminergic system, and the other is non-motor symptoms related to damage of non-dopaminergic systems. The non-motor symptoms include olfactory dysfunction, sleep disorders, mood disorders, as well as cognitive and psychiatric behavioral disturbances. Additionally, there are dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system, which manifest in the gastrointestinal tract mainly as constipation, and in the urinary system as urinary incontinence, urinary frequency, urinary retention, and sexual dysfunction. There also occurs orthostatic hypotension, along with changes in the skin. Some patients may experience abnormal increases or decreases in sweating and abnormal secretion of sebum in the facial area, which are specific skin symptoms of Parkinson's disease.