Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

In 1817, James Parkinson used the words "shaking palsy" to describe the symptoms of the disease that was eventually named after him. The TREMORS of the hands, ARMS, legs, JAW and face that he described are perhaps the most obvious symptoms, but as he noticed, they're NOT the only ones. This motor disorder has THREE other primary symptoms: Slowness of movement, known as bradykinesia, stiffness of the limbs and torso, and diminished balance and coordination. And loss of motor function becomes worse over time as nerve cells that produce the neurotransmitter DOPAMINE, which controls movement, gradually degenerate. This slow erosion of muscle control causes people with Parkinson's to experience SECONDARY symptoms such as difficulty speaking, swallowing or chewing, urinary problems, cognitive issues, sleep disruptions, and depression and anxiety. Learn more about Parkinson's disease by watching the other videos in this series.

To treat atrial fibrillation -- an irregular, rapid heartbeat -- your doctor will prescribe medications and lifestyle changes to REGULATE your heart rate and PREVENT blood clots that could cause a stroke or heart attack. In some cases, medical procedures or surgery are also necessary. To slow your heart rate, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers are often prescribed. They help dilate blood vessels, which takes pressure off the heart and lowers blood pressure. Digoxin is also prescribed to slow your heart rate. It works by regulating electrical impulses that generate the heartbeat. Antiarrhythmic medications such as POTASSIUM channel blockers and sodium channel blockers are also recommended. Sodium channel blockers reduce the heart's ability to conduct electricity, while potassium channel blockers slow down the electrical signals. They both keep erratic electric impulses from making the heart beat sporadically. These medications are initially effective 30 to 60 percent of the time, but may lose their usefulness. And in some cases they can cause more arrhythmia. To prevent or treat existing blood clots, blood thinners, known as anticoagulants and antiplatelets, are recommended. Aspirin, heparin, warfarin, and dabigatran are the most common ones. It is also important to make lifestyle changes that will protect your heart. For instance, quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation - or not at all - and avoiding caffeine may lower blood pressure and increase blood oxygenation. Also, tell your doctor about your use of all over-the counter medications; certain cough and cold medications can aggravate symptoms, as can caffeine-containing migraine medications. Sometimes, when medications and lifestyle changes don't stabilize your heart rhythm, a medical procedure or surgery may be needed. To find out about medical procedure and surgeries to correct atrial fibrillation, watch the other videos in this series. For more information on atrial fibrillation causes and diagnosis, check out other videos on this site.

Although there are 4 different courses of multiple sclerosis, it BEGINS when the immune system MISTAKENLY attacks MYELIN, a protein that forms a protective sheath that covers the end of neurons --nerve cells that transmit messages to the spinal cord and brain. MS is an autoimmune disease - and no one is sure what it is that makes the body destroy its own essential components. But once it begins, it may trigger what is called relapsing-remitting MS, the MOST common course of the disease. About 85 percent of people are INITIALLY diagnosed with this form of the disease. This type of MS features unpredictable, inflammatory attacks that can last for days or weeks. But it then goes into partial or FULL remission for weeks, months or YEARS, only to RETURN once again at some unpredictable future date. Most people with relapsing-remitting MS will go on to develop SECONDARY progressive MS. During this course the symptoms worsen STEADILY over the years as nerve damage increases and spreads. Disease-modifying therapy with biologics, such as beta 1-a, MAY be able to delay the onset of this course or control symptoms. Only around 10 percent of people are initially diagnosed with PRIMARY-progressive MS. Patients with this course START off with a steady worsening of symptoms and nerve damage. Disability will likely get worse over the years, although it may plateau at some point. There are no episodes of suddenly worsening symptoms - sometimes called exacerbations. Progressive relapsing MS is the LEAST common course. It affects about 5% of people with the disease. This type is characterized by a steady progression of nerve damage right from the beginning - and with occasional exacerbations, when symptoms flare up suddenly. Each flare may be different - some triggering only one symptom, some causing multiple problems. No matter the course of disease, some of the many possible symptoms of MS include blurry or double vision, numbness, tingling, imbalance, dizziness, and walking problems.

Patients experience a wide variety of symptoms associated with their migraine headaches, which means that there is no such thing as a "typical" migraine. However, when suffering from migraine headache, people generally are sick to their stomach and often vomit. There are a number of other symptoms that are commonly experienced by migraine sufferers. Migraine headaches typically begin as a dull ache, and progress into a throbbing pain. Typical migraines last roughly 4 to 12 hours, although particularly bad migraines can last as long as a week. When a patient is suffering from a migraine headache, they often are very sensitive to light, sounds, and certain odors; Also, many migraine sufferers have difficulty thinking and feel off balance. If one or more of these symptoms is present, (especially inability to function or nausea) it is likely that the headache sufferer is having a migraine.

Physiologically, an aura is due to changes that take place in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain. When a person begins to develop an aura, it is believed that activity in nerve cells in one part of the cortex become first become excited and then become depressed. With time the change in activity spreads across the cortex, impairing the function of the body parts controlled by these cells.

There are a number of foods that are recognized as headache triggers. One common trigger is alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, which contains tannins. Caffeine withdrawal is also prone to set off headaches, which is why overuse of caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda can trigger a migraine. Also, MSG, a spice found most commonly in Chinese food, can initiate a migraine headache in some patients. Although there is a popular perception that chocolate plays a role in initiating migraine headaches, many experts now believe that chocolate is not actually a migraine trigger. Rather the desire to eat chocolate is a sign of an impending migraine attack. In addition to eating these particular foods, missing a meal can also initiate a headache.

There are actually hundreds of different triggers that patients have reported. Some other frequently reported triggers include intense stress, bright light, cigarette smoke, the scent of perfumes and cleaning products, menstruation, and rapid changes in temperature. It is important to remember that very few of these reported triggers will actually start a headache for any particular person. In fact, most patients have three or fewer triggers, and one very effective way to prevent headaches is to identify these triggers and avoid them.

In the early, or mild, stages of Alzheimer's, symptoms are not immediately evident. Then, a patient will begin to suffer small memory lapses, such as forgetting the names of familiar places or people. These initial changes can be mistaken for normal signs of aging. However, the decline in cognitive functioning is much more rapid and more severe in people with the disease. As Alzheimer's progresses, the afflicted individual may experience confusion about everyday tasks and people. They often become disoriented about time and place and tend to exercise poor judgment. More than 40 percent of people with early-stage Alzheimer's exhibit apathy about their life and condition.

People with early-stage Alzheimer's can often continue living as they have been for some time, particularly when prescription medication is taken. However, the ability to live independently may be lost as an individual enters mid-stage Alzheimer's. At this point, patients often lose cognitive function rapidly, forgetting recent events and even their personal history. They may have trouble sorting out the names and faces of familiar people, and often forget personal information, like their home address or telephone number. Mid-stage Alzheimer's patients experience personality changes, as well, often becoming withdrawn. In addition, they may exhibit paranoid behavior and can even have hallucinations.