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Jackie - You asked if PD is hereditary. You've probably read the recent info telling of the discovery of a "PD gene." The answer will probably turn out to be that there are several defective genes that lead to a tendency to PD, and that there has to be some kind of "insult to the system" (toxin, high fever, blows to the head) to "turn on" the defective gene. Also, it may work like the breast cancer gene, BRCA1. People without that particular gene still get breast cancer, but those with the gene have a much higher risk, and tend to develop the disease much earlier in life. Just my personal theory, mind you. You wrote: > I went up to see Dad at the home yesterday, and I noticed that his speech seems to >be getting worse. It is very difficult to understand. Also he speaks very softly. Is this >normal? He also is drooling a lot. What causes this? Yes, soft voice and lack of ennunciation are part of PD. So is drooling. Swallowing can also be difficult. I don't know whether any doctor will say they positively know what the drooling is caused by, but I suspect it's simply that the PWP doesn't swallow as often or as effectively as needed. There are things that can help his speech - speech therapy or surgery, depending on his health and mental alertness. > I was facinated by the posting from the woman who was diagnosed so young. Her Dad >also has pd. My father's sister had pd. She was diagnosed in her early 40's and lived >until her 60's. Is pd hereditary? I was diagnosed at 28 with multiple sclerosis. I am >now 45. Am I at risk for pd? What are the main points of diagnosis for pd? None of >the rest of my siblings have anything nuerologicaly wrong. Could ms and pd >be related? I have tremor in my hands and I seem to jerk a lot. Not trying >to gain another disease :) just stuff I wanted to ask. If you're worried about possible PD, you should make an appointment with a movement disorder/PD specialist. Aside from the physical exam, you should ask for the smell test. Research has shown that the vast majority of PWP lose their sense of smell many years prior to the diagnosis of PD. It's considered the one pre-symptomatic test, at least by a number of doctors. Some PWP are keenly aware of the loss of the sense of smell, while others believe their sense of smell is intact, only to find that, while they're smelling *something* on the smell test, they can't correctly identify the substance they're smelling. Also, is your tremor a "resting" tremor? That is, does it disappear when you're using your hands to perform a task, and appear only when your hands are idle? Also, watch the tremor when your arms hang at your sides and look for the "pill-rolling" motion. If the thumb makes a circular pattern around the tips of the index and middle fingers, that's the pill-rolling motion. As far as I know, PD is the only disease producing that type of tremor. I'm not aware of any link between PD and MS. I guess I'm done "playing doctor" for today. Take everything I've said as being worth exactly as much as my (non-existent) medical diploma. But perhaps, for your peace of mind, you should make an appointment with a "real" doctor to ask these questions of. Good luck. Margie Swindler [log in to unmask]