According to the expert panel of doctors, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder. It is known to develop in a person very gradually without much intimation about its presence other than a bare tremor in one of the hands. If statistics are to be believed 7 to 10 million people around the world have Parkinson’s disease. As far has the doctors seen this is not a fatal disease but yes, it can affect the working of your body even in if you are going about your day to day business. The main symptoms which suggest Parkinson’s in a person is the tremors felt in the hands and legs and hence the patient faces problems balancing their body weight. The reason of these basic symptoms is that the disease is known to cause damage to the brain and slowly to the entire nervous system.
According to the researchers the main reason of causing this disease has not been found yet, but there are a many factors that can be instrumental in causing the Parkinson’s disease. Let us have a look at some of them:
- Defective genes: If you have a family history of Parkinson’s disease then you have the defective genes within you as studies have shown that more than 15% of the total disease infected people around the globe have a medical history in their family for Parkinson’s disease. It is also true that the chances of you getting the disease is less if there has been a single or probably two cases of a family member with this disease. But if you know that there have been several members of the family before you who have had the misfortune of acquiring the Parkinson’s, be sure you are in line. Doctors say that the mutation of genes which are responsible for the production of the hormones like dopamine and other essential proteins is how genetics contributes to the cultivating of this disease.
- Environmental factors: The environment in which the person lives and breathes also plays an important role in development of the disease in a person. Chemical exposures like pesticides and insecticides and various other fungicides may increase the chances of contracting this disease. Drinking water out of a well which has high manganese content can also be one of the environmental factors. But it is also true that there are many people who are exposed to such hazards but not all of them contract this disease. On this point researchers have to say that here, environmental factors as well as genetic factors combine together to form a cause of this disease.
- Increasing age as well as the gender of the person: The increasing age of the person makes him the most susceptible to this disease as with age the brain functioning of a person starts to slow down as well as the dopamine hormone also sees a steady decrease. Also it is seen that compared to women, men are the major targets of the disease.
- By product of other disease: Researchers have found that Hepatitis B and C virus may also be responsible for people contracting the Parkinson’s disease. It is believed that the Hepatitis virus that attacks the liver as soon as contracted goes after the nervous system of the person after it finishes its job with the liver. According to scientists, people with Hepatitis B and C have more than 75% chances of contracting the Parkinson’s disease as a byproduct of Hepatitis.
The Parkinson’s disease is incurable, but if you feel you have more than one symptoms of the disease in yourself it is time to consult a doctor as with medications can help have a control over the symptoms.
Photo courtesy of Plans and Presents.
