What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive brain disease resulting from the malfunction and death of vital cells in the brain, known as neurons. The neurons are in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Some of these dying neurons produce dopamine, which is the chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. The disease affects each patient differently and the symptoms can change from day today.
Motor or movement-related symptoms include shaking, tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, difficulty with walking, and problems with balance. The disease also causes non-motor symptoms. These symptoms often appear before a person experiences motor symptoms and may be more troublesome to some people with Parkinson’s. Non-motor symptoms include loss of sense of smell, fatigue, excessive saliva, constipation, vision, and dental problems, sleep disturbances, lack of facial expressions, mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, and orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when standing up).
The exact cause of PD is unknown but has been attributed to both genetic and environmental factors, such as family history, genetic mutations, drinking well water, and exposure to pesticides or metal. There is presently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but treatment options include medication therapy, surgery, and several complementary therapies which can help manage symptoms. Appropriate treatment can keep most patients working and enjoying an active life for several years, or even decades.
Statistics on Parkinson’s Disease
- There are nearly 36,400 people living with Parkinson’s throughout North and South Carolina.
- As many as one million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease, which is more than the combined number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
- Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, and this number does not reflect the thousands of cases that go undetected.
- An estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease.
- Incidence of Parkinson’s increases with age, but an estimated four percent of people with PD are diagnosed before the age of 50.
- Men are one and a half times more likely to have Parkinson’s than women.
What Does Parkinson’s Cost?
- The combined direct and indirect cost of Parkinson’s, including treatment, social security payments and lost income from inability to work, is estimated to be nearly $25 billion per year in the United States alone.
- Medication costs for an individual person with PD average $2,500 a year, and therapeutic surgery can cost up to $100,000 dollars per patient.
The Faces of Parkinson’s Disease
You can’t always see it in their faces. Symptoms can change from day-to-day and look different for everyone. From school teachers, personal trainers, and retirees, to parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends, they are all the Faces of Parkinson’s disease.