Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition characterized by movement symptoms, like tremors and muscle stiffness. Symptoms of this condition start slowly and become more severe over time.
While there is no cure for this disease, patients with Parkinson’s disease can alleviate their symptoms with lifestyle changes, medications, and other types of treatment regimens. If you are living with Parkinson’s, it is important to be aware of the options available to you.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease symptoms can vary from patient to patient. However, some of the most common signs of this condition include the following.
- Tremors and Shaking: Tremors are often one of the first symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It often begins in the hand or fingers, sometimes affecting only one side of the body before affecting both sides.
- Slowed Movement: Over time, Parkinson’s disease can significantly slow and impair movement. This can make it difficult daily tasks more difficult and more time-consuming.
- Rigid Muscles: Stiff and rigid muscles can affect any part of the body due to Parkinson’s disease. As a result, it can be extremely painful to move, limiting your range of motion. Late-stage Parkinson’s disease patients are often bedridden due to extreme stiffness in the muscles.
Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease
There are many treatment options for Parkinson’s disease, including medications, surgeries, and long-term care services. It is important to consult with a medical professional to determine which regimen is right for you.
Medication
Medications can help manage symptoms that affect walking and movement. Many people with Parkinson’s disease have low concentrations of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that impacts feelings of pleasure and the ability to think and plan. As a result, many medications act to increase or replace dopamine.
Medications that a doctor may prescribe include the following.
- Carbidopa-Levodopa: Levodopa is a common Parkinson’s disease medication that is converted into dopamine in the brain. This medication is combined with carbidopa, which prevents the levodopa from converting into dopamine before entering the brain. Carbidopa-levodopa is usually an oral medication, but it may also be inhaled or infused through a feeding tube.
- Dopamine Agonists: Instead of changing into dopamine in your brain, dopamine agonists mimic the effect of dopamine in the brain. These medications typically last longer than carbidopa-levodopa, but they are not as effective.
- MAO B Inhibitors: This type of medication prevents the breakdown of dopamine in the brain by inhibiting an enzyme known as monoamine oxidase B (MAO B). They include many types of medications, including selegiline, rasagiline, and safinamide.
- COMT Inhibitors: These medications support levodopa medication therapy by blocking an enzyme called Catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT). COMT can break down dopamine, so the effects are mildly prolonged.
- Amantadine: For early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients, doctors may prescribe amantadine to provide short-term relief from symptoms. However, amantadine can also control involuntary movements during carbidopa-levodopa therapy, which is a common side effect for later-stage patients.
Surgical Procedures
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure that a doctor may recommend for Parkinson’s disease. During this surgery, electrodes are placed in a certain part of your brain. These electrodes are connected to a generator, which is implanted near your collarbone.
During your surgery, electrical pulses are sent to your brain from the generator. The purpose of DBS is to alleviate Parkinson’s disease symptoms, such as tremor, rigidity, the slowing of movement, and involuntary movements.
Doctors typically offer this treatment to patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease who do not respond well to medication. However, this surgery is not right for everyone. Some people experience complications due to DBS, including infections, strokes, or brain hemorrhage.
Lifestyle Adaptations
There are certain lifestyle changes that could alleviate Parkinson’s disease symptoms or make them easier to live with. For example, eating a balanced diet can improve your overall well-being and ease common gastrointestinal symptoms, like constipation.
Exercising regularly can improve muscle strength, balance, and flexibility. Your doctor may recommend that you work with a physical therapist to find a routine that works for you. Walking, swimming, dancing, and stretching are common exercises for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Occupational therapy can help you learn daily techniques to make your life easier, such as dressing, bathing, and eating. Additionally, supportive therapies like the following can also support your quality of life, such as massage therapy, meditation, tai chi, and pet therapy.
Many patients with Parkinson’s disease live with depression and anxiety. In these cases, psychological counseling and therapy can help alleviate these symptoms and make them easier to live with.
Long-Term Care Services
During the later stages of Parkinson’s disease, it can be difficult for patients to live alone. Daily tasks can be difficult to complete alone, and you may be unable to move or walk without assistance. In some cases, patients are bedridden due to the severity of these symptoms.
As a result, many Parkinson’s disease patients require long-term care services at some point in their lives. You may need to hire a live-in caregiver who can help you complete daily activities. You may also look into long-term care facilities or nursing homes that specialize in providing care to Parkinson’s patients.
These facilities and caregivers are responsible for many of the day-to-day duties involved in caring for someone with Parkinson’s disease, such as medication management, physical therapy, eating, dressing, and bathing.
How an Attorney Can Help Your Parkinson’s Disease Claim
No one knows for certain what causes Parkinson’s disease. However, research suggests that exposure to toxic chemicals like Paraquat, a popular herbicide, may lead to this condition. If you believe that Paraquat exposure is responsible for your condition, you may be eligible for a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the defective product.
Through your claim, you can recover compensation for the costs related to your treatment, including medications, long-term care services, and surgeries. You can also hold the manufacturer accountable for lost wages, disability accommodations, and pain and suffering, among other losses.
In these situations, it is important to speak with a Paraquat lawsuit attorney with experience handling Parkinson’s disease claims as soon as possible. A lawyer can evaluate your case and help you understand whether you qualify for litigation. After your diagnosis, contact an attorney to discuss your legal options and next steps.