Is Parkinson's disease dangerous?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on September 18, 2024
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Parkinson's disease is a chronic condition and a progressive degenerative disorder of the nervous system. The main symptoms include slowed movements, increased muscle tone, resting tremors, and abnormal posture and gait. The onset of the disease is slow and subtly worsens over time. Although not highly dangerous in itself and not directly life-threatening, Parkinson’s disease currently lacks a cure, and the condition gradually worsens. Generally, within about 10 to 20 years, patients may experience significant balance impairments. The main risks involve instability while walking, which can lead to falls and potentially cause fractures and other complications. In later stages, patients often become bedridden, leading to possible complications such as pulmonary infections, urinary tract infections, bedsores, and malnutrition. Therefore, Parkinson's disease is relatively mild, manageable in the early stages, but requires careful attention in later stages to prevent complications and avoid unnecessary harm.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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What department should you go to for Parkinson's disease?

Registration for Parkinson's disease should be in the Department of Neurology, as Parkinson's disease is a common disorder within neurology, so seeing a neurologist is sufficient. Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease, primarily affecting middle-aged and elderly people. Although there is a genetic predisposition in some cases of Parkinson's disease, those with a family history might develop the disease in their youth, but sporadic cases generally occur in middle-aged or older individuals. Patients exhibit many motor symptoms that severely affect their quality of life, including muscle rigidity, limb tremors, and slowed movement, as well as other complications. Many neurologists are very familiar with Parkinson's disease and have seen many patients with it, possessing significant diagnostic and treatment experience. Therefore, consulting neurology is entirely appropriate.

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Written by Liu Shi Xiang
Neurology
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Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease

The early symptoms of Parkinson's disease primarily include weakness of limbs on one side, resting tremors, and bradykinesia, among others. As the disease progresses, patients will display typical Parkinson's symptoms, including a shuffling gait, reduced facial expressions, decreased sense of smell, orthostatic hypotension, anxiety and depression, cognitive decline, constipation, frequent urination, etc. Therefore, when these symptoms appear, the possibility of Parkinson's disease should be considered. Patients need to promptly visit the neurology department of a hospital for complete testing such as routine blood tests, urinalysis, MRI of the skull, and if necessary, cerebrospinal fluid analysis through lumbar puncture to confirm the diagnosis. Once diagnosed, treatment with anti-Parkinson's medication should be started as soon as possible. Commonly used medications include Levodopa, dopamine receptor agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, Vitamin B6, and more.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a relatively common degenerative disease in the elderly, primarily causing the death of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain, leading to corresponding clinical manifestations. Research has confirmed that other systems may also be damaged in the early stages of Parkinson's disease symptoms. The early symptoms may primarily include: First, patients experience persistent constipation, which is a very important early symptom of Parkinson's disease. Second, some patients may experience sleep disturbances, mainly characterized by tossing and turning, shouting out loud during sleep, without being aware of it. Additionally, some patients in the early stages may also experience a reduced sense of smell, constipation, cognitive impairment, and other clinical manifestations. There are also some early motor symptoms, mainly that the patient becomes clumsy and inflexible in the movements of one side of the body. These are the early symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 4sec home-news-image

Is Parkinson's disease dangerous?

Parkinson's disease is a chronic condition and a progressive degenerative disorder of the nervous system. The main symptoms include slowed movements, increased muscle tone, resting tremors, and abnormal posture and gait. The onset of the disease is slow and subtly worsens over time. Although not highly dangerous in itself and not directly life-threatening, Parkinson’s disease currently lacks a cure, and the condition gradually worsens. Generally, within about 10 to 20 years, patients may experience significant balance impairments. The main risks involve instability while walking, which can lead to falls and potentially cause fractures and other complications. In later stages, patients often become bedridden, leading to possible complications such as pulmonary infections, urinary tract infections, bedsores, and malnutrition. Therefore, Parkinson's disease is relatively mild, manageable in the early stages, but requires careful attention in later stages to prevent complications and avoid unnecessary harm.

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home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
56sec home-news-image

Is Parkinson's disease hereditary?

Parkinson's disease is mainly divided into two types. One type is familial Parkinson's disease, which definitely has a clear genetic predisposition. This disease is caused by mutations in some genes that lead to disruptions in some internal environments and the accumulation of abnormal proteins, eventually causing the death of neurons. Since the disease is caused by genetic mutations, there is definitely a certain genetic predisposition, and reproductive counseling is necessary to prevent the birth of offspring with Parkinson's disease. Moreover, most cases of Parkinson's disease are sporadic, and these diseases may be related to acquired factors, such as long-term mental stress, excessive pressure, brain trauma, or cerebrovascular diseases in patients, which can all lead to Parkinson's disease. This type of disease is definitely not inherited, so there is no need to worry too much.