Parkinson's disease Archives

Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Jacob Lobosco

During Parkinson’s Awareness Month, healthcare organizations work to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease, including symptoms, warning signs, and all current resources available to improve the quality of life experienced by people living with this condition.

Parkinson’s is a progressive disease of the nervous system that causes tremors and muscular rigidity; this, in turn, leads to slow and imprecise body movements. The disease is caused by the degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which controls many of the body’s movements. Parkinson’s mostly affects people who are middle-aged or elderly.

Not all symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear immediately; some people can live with the disease for years or decades before non-motor symptoms begin to appear. Some specific signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s include:

Tremor: A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers.
Slowed movement: Over time, Parkinson’s disease may reduce your ability to move, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming.
Rigid muscles: Muscle stiffness can occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can limit your range of motion and cause pain.
Impaired posture and balance: Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems.
Loss of automatic movements: Parkinson’s disease can lead to a decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling, or swinging your arms when you walk.
Speech changes: You may speak softly or quickly, slur, or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more monotone, rather than having normal inflections.
Writing changes: It may become hard to write and/or your writing may appear small.

Some symptoms, such as tremors, can be managed through certain medications. These medications can act as a substitute for dopamine, sending signals to your brain that function similarly to this neurotransmitter. Although these medications can become less effective over time, some patients experience significant improvement in their symptoms as a result of treatment.

Parkinson’s disease can be frightening and challenging to live with, but there are treatment options available to help you engage in your normal daily activities more easily. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a neurologist, please call Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center at (718) 670-5486.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Michael Hinck

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about Parkinson’s disease and all of the available resources we have developed to make life better for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease of the nervous system that causes tremors, and muscular rigidity combined with slow and imprecise movement of the body. It is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The disease mostly affects people who are middle-aged and elderly people.

Parkinson’s signs and symptoms may include:

Tremor – A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers.
Slowed movement –Over time, Parkinson’s disease may reduce your ability to move and slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming.
Rigid muscles – Muscle stiffness can occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can limit your range of motion and cause you pain.
Impaired posture and balance –Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems.
Loss of automatic movements – Decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.
Speech changes – You may speak softly, quickly, slur or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more monotone rather than with the usual inflections.
Writing changes – It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small.

Managing some of the symptoms, such as tremors can be helped with medications. The medications prescribed can act as a substitute for dopamine and send a similar signal to the neurotransmitter in your brain.

Although these medications can become less effective over time, some patients realize significant improvement in their symptoms after starting treatment and continue to do.

What Are Tremors And Why Do They Occur?

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Michael Hinck

A tremor is an involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction that results in shaking movements in one or more parts of the body. They most commonly affect the hands but can also occur in the arms, head, vocal cords or legs. Tremors can come and go, but they can also be constant. They can take place without reason or occur as a result of another disorder. While they are not life threatening, tremors can be debilitating, making it very difficult to perform many daily tasks.

Tremors are usually caused by a problem in the parts of the brain that control movement. Tremors typically appear in middle aged to older adults. They affect men and women equally and can run in families.

Tremors can occur on their own or be a symptom associated with a number of neurological disorders, including:

Multiple sclerosis
Stroke
Traumatic brain injury
Parkinson’s disease

Others reasons why someone may experience tremors include: a reaction to medications, alcohol abuse, anxiety disorders, mercury poisoning, an overactive thyroid, or liver or kidney failure. Some tremors may be triggered by or worsen during times of stress or strong emotion, when an individual is physically exhausted, or when a person is in certain postures or makes certain movements.

Tremors are classified into two main categories, resting or action; a resting tremor occurs when a person’s hands, arms, or legs shake when they are at rest. Often, the tremor only affects the hand or fingers and is often seen in people with Parkinson’s disease. An action tremor occurs with the voluntary movement of a muscle. Most types of tremors are considered action tremors.

A neurologist can diagnose a tremor during an physical examination and medical history based on:

Whether tremors occur when the muscles are at rest or in action
The location of the tremor on the body
The frequency and severity of the tremor.

Your doctor will also check for other neurological abnormalities such as impaired balance or speech, or increased muscle stiffness. Blood or urine tests can rule out a thyroid malfunction, medication interaction or alcohol abuse as a cause. A CT Scan or MRI may be performed to determine if the tremor is the result of a brain injury and motor skill assessments can administered to determine functional limitations.

Although there is no cure for most forms of tremors, treatment options are available to help manage symptoms. In some cases, a person’s symptoms may be mild enough that they do not require treatment. In other cases, treating the underlying cause can reduce or eliminate the tremor. If no known cause is determined, medications, focused ultrasound, or surgery may be considered as treatment options.

To make an appointment with a doctor at Flushing Hospital’s Ambulatory Care Center, please call 718-670-5486