Parkinson's Disease. It's Not Just The Elderly Who Get It

An overview of Parkinson's Disease and who is likely to develop the disease.
Ask the question, Who get's Parkinson's Disease? and the majority of answers will all say that it is elderly people who get it. This in fact is not entirely true. Although Parkinson's Disease does affect a higher proportion of elder adults, about 90% as we know it, there are also a small percentage of younger persons who also develop the disease.

You will no doubt have heard about the great Mohammed Ali who developed the disease shortly after his boxing career, and what about the actor Michael J Fox, famous for his Back To The Future films. These are just two examples of how the disease is not constrained to elder persons. Statistics suggest that Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis as a whole will probably double in the next 40-50 years.

So just who is at risk from the disease?

Research shows that it is actually men who are more at risk of developing Parkinson's Disease. It is believed that women are somehow protected by estrogens which appear to shield the body from the chemical differences that take place in Parkinson's Disease development.

Symptoms To Look Out For.

Common Parkinson's Disease (PD) symptoms are hand tremors, slurred speech, slowness and movement difficulties. A sufferer may also find that they develop a style of smaller handwriting. This is quite common. From a case study, it was shown that the men were more affected by rigidity and hand tremors and the women were more prone to shuffling.Is Parkinson's Disease Hereditary?

It is thought that if within a person's family, there has been Parkinsons Diagnosis for people under the age of 40, then it is more probable for that person to develop PD than other persons within the same age group. For elder persons over the age of 65, it is thought that having a family history of the disease plays no part in the chances of developing it.

The important thing to remember here, is that there is always help and support available in the event of a person being diagnosed with the disease.

Parkinson's Medicine has developed tremendously now and Doctors have a greater understanding of the condition. With the correct medication and care, many PD sufferers live their lives with minimum disturbance and are likely to have a close to normal lifespan. This is not to say that the disease goes unnoticed, but with the correct medicine and understanding, the diseases side effects can be significantly lessened.

Clive Jenkins recommends the Parkinsons Disease Help Online website. Everything you need to know about Parkinson's Disease. To find articles, tips and free advice, check out the site here:http://www.parkinsonsdiseasehelponline.com

- Clive Jenkins

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Publication date: Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:55:56 EDT

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