Five Early Signs Of Parkinson's Disease

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Parkinson's disease mostly occurs in the elderly over 60 years old. It has a strong camouflage ability and is the "silent killer" of the elderly's health. Before typical symptoms appear, there is a long prodromal period.

There are five specific signals in the prodromal stage of Parkinson's disease:

1. Hyosmia: About 90% of patients with Parkinson's disease have symptoms of decreased sense of smell, but hyposmia is not necessarily Parkinson's disease. Family members need to observe carefully, do not think that this is a normal physiological phenomenon of the elderly, and ignore it.

2. Cognitive dysfunction: About 45% of Parkinson's disease patients have cognitive dysfunction, such as being unable to recall the names of acquaintances and recalling familiar Chinese characters.

3. Sleep disorders: Insomnia is the most important early symptom of Parkinson's disease patients, which can be divided into two categories: sleep interruption and difficulty falling asleep. Interrupted sleep is the most common first symptom, and REM sleep behavior disorder, such as nightmares, yelling, punching, and kicking, may also occur.

4. Constipation: Studies have shown that many Parkinson's disease patients have symptoms of constipation as early as 10 to 15 years before their diagnosis. Constipation is caused by changes in the intestinal flora leading to slower peristalsis, and the changes in the flora activate a protein called "synuclein", which leads to the loss of dopamine neurons and induces Parkinson's symptoms.

5. Hallucinations: such as shouting and talking at night, stretching arms and legs unconsciously, etc.

In addition to these early manifestations, the elderly can self-test whether they have Parkinson's disease through three small actions:

1. Tremor at rest is the most typical manifestation of Parkinson's disease, with hands-on the legs naturally, with a pill-rolling motion;

2. The thumb and forefinger quickly point to each other, less than 15 times within 5 seconds;

3. When writing, write smaller and smaller words.

4. If you walk clumsily, drag your legs all the time, your upper limbs swing slightly, your shoulders are tilted to one side, your hands are inflexible when rolling dumpling wrappers or holding chopsticks, etc., you should be alert.

According to statistics from the World Parkinson's Association, there are currently 5.7 million Parkinson's patients in the world, and about 2.7 million in China, with 100,000 new patients every year.

Although Parkinson's disease cannot be completely cured, as long as it is prevented, detected, treated, and treated scientifically, it is not scary at all. There is a saying that "seven points of spirit, three points of disease". Faced with Parkinson's disease, patients should also be optimistic about life, treat it as a friend they knew in their later years, and learn to get along with it. Try more "diversion therapy", which is to divert your attention and do something you enjoy, such as traveling with friends, taking pictures, etc. Of course, it is very important to actively receive treatment as prescribed by your doctor.

Currently, there are many treatments for Parkinson's disease, including drugs, surgery, rehabilitation, and psychotherapy. Once Parkinson's disease is diagnosed, treatment should be started immediately. Because the disease progresses rapidly in the early stage, drug treatment is the first choice and the most important means. The condition is getting worse. Therefore, the long-term effect should be considered in the early stage of medication, the minimum dose should be used to maintain a good state, and the dose should be gradually increased according to the progress of the disease. It is best to choose drugs that reduce or delay motor complications, such as non-ergot dopamine agonists or monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, or low-dose combinations. As the disease progresses, patients develop motor complications, which can be treated with a brain pacemaker.