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Dr. Malloy: Pope's Medical History Explained Pontiff's Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Progress Rapidly POSTED: 12:25 p.m. CDT October 21, 2003 UPDATED: 12:33 p.m. CDT October 21, 2003 As the pope celebrates his 25th anniversary, attention has been focused on his severe health problems that have left him unable to walk and often unable to speak. His most outstanding problem is Parkinson's disease, but he has experienced many other difficulties. Pope's Medical History 1981: Gunshot to chest and abdomen 1992: Colon tumor 1993: Broken shoulder 1994: Broken hip 1996: Appendicitis 1996: Parkinson's disease evident 2002: Arthritic knee The pope has joined the almost 1 million Americans who have Parkinson's disease. His symptoms have progressed rapidly over the last year. As late as last summer when he visited Toronto, he was able to walk down the steps of the plane. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological condition that results from the loss of brain cells in the substantia nigra that produce dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that transmits messages that control movements. There is no cure, but medication and other treatments can slow its progress, and every patient has a different course. Some have only one symptom, and some have many. Symptoms Of Parkinson's Disease Tremor Rigidity Slow movements Speech problems Difficulty swallowing Depression and dementia The pope's Parkinson's disease was first evident as a tremor that was seen in his left hand. He now has it in both hands. We see his masked facial expression, the slurred speech and the declining energy. The variation of his symptoms, such as sometimes being able to speak and sometimes not being able to speak, is characteristic of the disease. Also, adjustment of medication and other physical conditions can affect the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. SOURCE: NBC5.com, IL http://www.nbc5.com/health/2570026/detail.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn