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Parkinson’s Life Expectancy – Stages and Treatment Options

Treatment

The treatment of this condition can be done in 3 different ways, which are therapy, lifestyle changes, and proper medications.

  • Therapy: different therapies can be used to treat this condition, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy help to improve self-care and the communication of a patient with this illness. Alongside these therapies, a well-balanced diet should be followed, and also regular exercises should be done.
  • Medications: when the signs become noticeable, it is advised to visit a medical doctor for proper check and diagnosis to know the right drugs to be used for whatever stage the person may be at. There are several drugs that can be used for the treatment of this disease and they are:
  • Levodopa: this is the most common drug used for Parkinson’s. It is used to replace dopamine in the brain.
  • Dopamine agonists: this helps to act like dopamine in the brain.
  • Anticholinergic
  • Catechol O-methyltransferase(COMT) inhibitors
  • Amantadine (Symmetrel)
  • MAO-B(monoamine oxidase B)
  • Surgery: there are two types of surgery that can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease. These include pump-delivered therapy and deep brain stimulation. These surgeries are used when the patients do not respond to medications.

Conclusion

This disease occurs mostly due to reduced levels of dopamine in the brain. This results in difficulty in movement and tremors in the limbs. This condition can mostly be found in males and it becomes noticeable around the age of 60. There are 5 stages of this illness. If diagnosed in the early stages it is easier to treat but can be fatal if not diagnosed on time. The disease is incurable but can be managed through therapy, medications, and surgery.

References

[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/tremor

[2] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961

[3] https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

[4] https://www.healthline.com/health/psychosis

[5] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22513-neurotransmitters

[6] https://www.physio-pedia.com/Hoehn_and_Yahr_Scale