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Parkinson’s disease should be suspected if the movement of the elderly, who welcomed the Chuseok holiday, is slower than before, or if it is difficult to focus. Parkinson’s disease is the most common degenerative brain disease following dementia.
According to Professor Yudala of the Department of Neurology at Kyunghee University Hospital, Parkinson’s disease is caused by the loss of neurons that make dopamine, one of the neurotransmitters in our brain. Due to the nature of degenerative diseases, the symptoms gradually worsen, so the more time passes, the more visible the symptoms become.
It mainly occurs in the elderly, and the risk of contracting the disease increases with age. Without proper treatment, movement disorders gradually progress, making it difficult to walk. In severe cases, it is impossible to carry out daily activities at all.
Parkinson’s disease begins very slowly and progresses slowly. It is difficult to know exactly when the disease started. Typical motor symptoms include tremor in which the movements of the limbs become slow, tremor in the hands, legs, and jaw when standing still, stiffness in which the body becomes stiff and stiff, and postural anxiety in which it is difficult to focus while walking.
In addition to the above symptoms, various other symptoms such as depression, sleep talk, decreased sense of smell, constipation, fatigue, and pain may appear. Other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include facial expressionlessness, a gradual decrease in size when writing, and a decrease in voice when speaking.
Treatment of Parkinson’s disease can be divided into exercise and rehabilitation treatment, drug treatment, and surgical treatment. In order to improve symptoms along with treatment, exercise is essential. It is important to find an exercise that the patient can do, such as walking for more than 30 minutes, indoor cycling, and swimming, and make a habit of doing it consistently.
If symptoms are mild and do not interfere with daily life, medication may be delayed. However, in order to confirm the need for timely drug treatment as the disease progresses, periodic treatment by a specialist is necessary. As a treatment drug, a precursor (levodopa) that acts as dopamine in the brain and an auxiliary drug that can inhibit the breakdown of dopamine or produce a similar effect are used. None of the currently available treatment methods can restore the lost brain cells to normal, but appropriate drug treatment can help slow the progression of the disease.
Parkinson’s is the only degenerative disease that can improve symptoms through surgery. A typical surgical technique is deep brain stimulation. It is a method of inserting electrodes into both brains and continuously applying weak electrical stimulation. It is necessary to pay attention to the long-term maintenance and management of electrodes placed in the patient’s brain, but if the drug control has reached its limit, it can be selected in consultation with the attending physician.
Professor Yoo said, “It is known that patients with Parkinson’s disease who exercise consistently and consistently show good long-term progress.” He continued, “Parkinson’s disease patients in the middle and later stages are prone to falls, so they should be careful not to fall and get hurt in a small space such as a bathroom. It’s good to get rid of it,” he said.