What is the treatment for parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. This chronic condition impacts movement and can gradually lead to physical impairments like tremors, stiffness, and difficulty walking. And although there isn’t currently a cure for Parkinson’s, there are many effective treatments available that can help manage symptoms.

If you or your loved one has recently been diagnosed with this condition, you may be wondering what treatment options are available to you. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at some of the most commonly used solutions for managing Parkinson’s disease – from medications to surgery.

Medications

1) Levodopa: The primary medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease is levodopa (brand name Sinemet). Levodopa helps offset the brain’s deficiency in dopamine by transforming into this neurotransmitter once it enters the brain. Levodopa dramatically minimizes motor symptoms, making it highly effective; however, over time its symptom-reducing effects tend to become less efficient as more doses are taken due to tolerance development.

2) Dopamine agonists: These drugs mimic dopamine in the brain and cause similar outcomes as levodopa (mirapex and requip are two examples). They also have fewer side effects than levodopa but aren’t typically prescribed until later stages since they are not as potent.

3) MAO-B inhibitors: MAO-B enzymes limit dopamine destruction among other things; therefore inhibiting them recreates necessary balance for patients experiencing neuronal death due low levels of this neurotransmitter from PD degradation. Selegiline and rasagiline belong within this class of drugs which reduce motor fluctuations caused by taking too much levodopa

4) COMT inhibitors: Comt inhibitors work similarly as Mao-b inhibitors by blocking an enzyme responsible for breaking down combined L-dopa-carbidopa outside hence keep its efficacy in brain for longer. Side effects may include chest pains, fatigue, and diarrhoea.

Deep Brain Stimulation

1) DBS surgery: In this procedure, doctors insert a thin electrode into specific areas of the brain (GPI or STN) involved with motor symptoms movement regulation . Then the patient’s implanted device sends electrical pulses to these targets to modulate abnormal output via different neuro-pathways/connections, which can effectively help control tremors and other physical impairments associated with Parkinson’s disease. Over time, DBS has become increasingly popular for advanced cases that require medication adjustments to manage symptoms efficiently.

2) Duopa Infusion System: A variation of DBS uses an infusion pump commonly called Duodopa after brand name Levadops cartridge where the tube delivers gel-like L-DOPA-Carbidopa directly into small bowel as it bypasses stomach thus reducing side effects like nausea typical if oral PD meds are given too much on empty stomach

Physical Therapy

PD patients can benefit from physiotherapy enabling more fluid natural movements by working on rigid joints while helping strengthen weakened ones; speech therapy also helps increase clarity sensation articulation furthermore allowing non-verbal forms communication giving improved quality of life mentally socially emotionally and physically

Other Approaches

Physical exercise strengthens muscles around affected areas-counteracting stiffness from low dopamine levels without exacerbating muscle weakness caused by such loss.

Parkinson’s Disease remains at present incurable; however there exist many methods accessible aimed towards controlling symptom development progression thereby maintaining enhanced quality-of-life outcomes average lifespan is 20 years shorter than populace nearing age range Also each treatment option mentioned within this article carries unique benefits and drawbacks so learning about various choices should prove advantageous helping cope better with inevitable complications arising gradually upon remaining informed throughout journey fighting against PD.(WS:2019-W23-25-A0-P3-Q4)

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