Parkinson’s Disease Ayurvedic Treatment - Causes, Symptoms, Stages, and Diagnosis

What Is A Parkinson’s Disease :

Parkinson's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that affects locomotion. Symptoms are noticed with time, sometimes starting with a tremor, which is very common. However, the condition also leads to stiffness, difficulty with movement and balance, and shaking. During the initial stages, an individual's face may show little to no expression — there would be difficulty swinging your arms, speech may become slurred, and problems in balancing things. The symptoms gradually worsen with the disease progression.

Although there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, medications might significantly help you feel better. Doctors may recommend surgery to regulate specific areas of your brain that may ultimately help with the symptoms.

Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease :

The signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease may vary from individual to individual. Initial signs may be moderate and may often go unnoticed. Individuals may start noticing symptoms on one side of their bodies, which may worsen to the other side.

Some of the symptoms of the disorder may include:

• Tremor: A tremor begins in the hands, usually your hand or fingers. You may rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth, which is called a pill-rolling tremor. Your hand may shake or tremble when it's at rest.
• Bradykinesia: Gradually, Parkinson's disease may slow your locomotion, making it challenging to do simple tasks and time-consuming as well. Your movements may become slower, including the walks. You may even have to drag your feet as you try to walk.
• Loss of Movements: Your ability to perform automated activities may reduce, such as swinging your arms, blinking, and smiling.
• Changes in Writing: It may be difficult for you to write or draw, and your writing may appear small.
• Rigid Muscles: You may feel stiffness in your muscles, which can be painful and may limit the range of your movements.
• Speech Changes: You may have slurry speech or hesitation before speaking. Additionally, your speech may be more without intonation instead of having regular inflections.
• Difficulty in Balancing: Your posture may be affected, or find difficulty balancing stuff due to the disorder.

Significance of Identifying Early Symptoms :

People are always under this disbelief that early signs and symptoms of Parkinson's are typical aging signs. Hence, they often take time to seek medical attention.

In any case, treatment is more like to be effective if an individual takes during the disease's initial stages. This is why it is essential to get an early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. If patients do not begin with the treatment until he/she has apparent symptoms, it won't be effective. Additionally, several other conditions have similar signs and symptoms, including:

• Head Trauma
• Stroke
• Drug-Induced Parkinsonism
• Multiple System Atrophy
• Encephalitis
• Lewy Body Dementia
• Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
• Corticobasal Degeneration

Since the symptoms are similar to other conditions, it is difficult for doctors to diagnose Parkinson's disease during the initial stages. Locomotion symptoms can start on one side of the body and gradually move to the other side.

Causes Of Parkinson’s Disease :

In Parkinson's disease, neurons in the brain gradually degenerate. The majority of the symptoms are due to brain cells dying, leading to decreased dopamine levels. When dopamine levels decrease, it may lead to abnormal brain functioning and impaired movement, among other symptoms.

The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is not known, but many factors contribute to the onset of the disease, including:

1. Genes: Scientists have recognized different genetic mutations that may lead to Parkinson's disease. However, these are unusual except in rare cases where the family members are affected by the disorder. Also, there are specific genes that tend to increase the risk of Parkinson's.

2. Environmental Factors: Exposure to toxic elements may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's at later stages of life. However, the risk is relatively small.

Five Stages of Parkinson's Disease :

Parkinson's is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which implies the disease's symptoms typically degrade over time. Health specialists use the Hoehn and Yahr scale to identify the stages of the disease. It divides the symptoms into five stages that help doctors know about the disease progression.

Stage 1: This is the mildest form of the disease. In fact, the symptoms are so mild that a patient often fails to notice the signs. They may or may not interfere with your daily life. In case you have symptoms, they may appear on one side of the body.

Stage 2: The progression onto Stage 2 varies from individual to individual. It can take months, or even years, in some cases. You are most likely to experience the following symptoms:

• Tremors
• Trembling
• Muscle Stiffness
• Changes in Facial Expression

Muscle stiffness can make it difficult to perform daily tasks and take hours to complete a task that usually takes a few minutes. However, at Stage 2, you're unlikely to experience balance problems.

You may experience symptoms on both sides of your body, along with visible changes in facial expressions, posture, and gait.

Stage 3: This is the middle stage, and symptoms take a steep turn. While new symptoms may not appear as yet, but initial symptoms may become more noticeable. Additionally, they may interfere with all of your daily tasks.

Movements are noticeably slower, thereby slowing down your tasks. You may notice balance issues and fall at times. However, people with stage 3 can usually continue maintaining their independence and complete tasks without much help from others.

Stage 4: The progression to this stage brings about significant changes. This stage will make you experience severe symptoms such as difficulty standing without a walker or device. Your muscle movements may slow down, and living alone is not recommendable.

Stage 5: This is the most advanced stage where symptoms get severe, and patients may require around-the-clock assistance. A wheelchair is most likely recommendable. At stage 5 Parkinson's, people may start experiencing hallucinations, confusion, and delusions.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease :

There's no particular test for diagnosing Parkinson's disorder. However, doctors may check your family history, perform a physical and neurological scan, and examine your signs and symptoms.

Imaging tests such as an MRI or CAT scan may be performed to rule out other conditions. Furthermore, a dopamine transporter (DAT) scan may also be carried out. While these tests do not confirm the diagnosis, they rule out other conditions and support the doctor's diagnosis.

Risk Factors For Parkinson's Disease :

• Age: Young adults rarely experience symptoms of the disease. It usually hits people in middle or late life, and the risk increases with age. The onset of the illness starts around age 60 or older.
• Heredity: If a family member has Parkinson's, it increases your chances of developing the disease. In any case, your risks are still minimal unless many people in your family are affected by the disease.
• Gender: Men are more likely to develop the disorder than women.
• Exposure to Toxins: Exposure to toxic elements such as herbicides and pesticides, increase your risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson’s Disease Treatment :

There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but doctors recommend surgical treatment, medication, and other therapies to relieve some symptoms.

Medicines for Parkinson's disease include:

• Drugs that increase the dopamine levels in the brain
• Anti-depressants and others that help control non-motor symptoms
• Medications that affect other brain chemicals in the body

Levodopa, or L-dopa, is the primary therapy used for the disorder. Nerve cells use levodopa to increase dopamine levels. L-dopa is taken along with another medication called carbidopa, which reduces L-dopa therapy's side effects like restlessness, nausea, low blood pressure, and vomiting. Patients should continue taking levodopa unless told by the doctor. Stopping the drug may have adverse effects on the body, including breathing and motor problems.

Parkinson’s Disease Ayurvedic Treatment :

Grocare India's Parkinson's disease treatment is a natural and has given positive results in helping individuals living with Parkinson's disease. Activiz®, GC®, and Acidim® are antioxidants and natural detoxifiers that help in reversing the damage caused by free radicals on the brain's nerve cells. Furthermore, they prevent the formation of free radicals in the body, thereby helping prevent additional damage.

Oronerv®, on the other hand, is a nerve stimulant that helps remove blockages that may have been created and restore nerve signals. If all the medicines are taken as per the guidelines, it will reduce the dryness in body membranes, thereby allowing proper flow of neurotransmitters and improved coordination between the brain and different parts of the body.

This natural product works best if two tablets of Activiz®, Oronerv®, and Acidim®, and one tablet of GC® are taken twice every day after breakfast and dinner for the duration of 6 to 8 months. Individuals can see the benefits within four weeks of proper usage of the kit.