PART 2 of 3
MY PERSONAL BATTLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE by Royal S. Buchanan
600 Carolina Village Road Hendersonville, NC 28792
I have been doing research. I believe the following is the least you should
know about Parkinson's to be a good patient or caregiver. The PRIMARY
SYMPTOMS
of PD are:
TREMOR: Tremor occurs in 70% of patients. They start in any limb, usually at
rest. Eventually the tremors may progress to all four limbs. Since the
tremors
usually occur at rest, movement during a tremor is often recommended.
Physical
or emotional stress often causes tremors to worsen. Medicine usually helps
but
cannot always control tremor.
RIGIDITY: Stiffness in the muscles has many side effects not often thought
of.
If muscles around the mouth are affected, involuntary teeth clenching may
contribute to drooling. When muscles that control speech and swallowing are
effected it causes hypophonia or "soft voice." The muscles that are required
to
move the eye also become rigid. Sight itself is not affected but reading is
often difficult. (Another note on vision is that many drugs used to treat
Parkinson's constrict the pupil which causes blurred vision.)
BRADYKINESIA: This condition makes beginning a movement very hard. (For
instance getting up from a chair.) It may cause an arrest of movement when
coming to a small area or doorway. This is a most disabling symptom;
however,
it does respond well to treatment. (IMPORTANT: Caregivers, do NOT rush your
Parkinsonian. BE PATIENT. Your Parkinsonian IS moving as fast as he can!)
IMPAIRED BALANCE: The body's center of gravity becomes impaired with
Parkinson's. Drug treatment seems to have no effect; therapy, however, seems
to
help.
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Posted by Barbara Blake-Krebs [log in to unmask]
