Question:
Is it true that farmers are more likely to get Parkinson’s disease?
Answer:
Although genetics are very important in Parkinson’s disease, many researchers
believe that environmental exposures also increase a person’s risk of
developing the disease.
There
are studies that show that farmers and other agricultural workers have an
increased risk of getting the disease.
Parkinson’s
was first described in 1817 by Dr. James Parkinson, a British physician. It
affects 1 in 100 people over the age of 60. It can also affect younger people.
The average age of onset is 60. Research suggests that Parkinson’s affects at
least 500,000 people in the United States.
It
is a complex disorder of the central nervous system and is the second most
common neurodegenerative disease in the United States, after Alzheimer’s
disease.
The
defining symptoms include tremor, slowness of movement, rigidity, and impaired
balance and coordination.
As
these symptoms become more pronounced, patients may have difficulty walking,
talking, or completing simple tasks. They also may experience depression,
difficulty sleeping and other problems.
The
progression of symptoms in Parkinson’s may take 20 years or more. In some
people, however, it progresses much more quickly.
In
the early 1960s, scientists determined that the loss of brain cells was causing
Parkinson’s disease. The cells that were depleted produced dopamine, a chemical
that helps control muscle activity. Today, Parkinson’s is treated with drugs
and surgery.
Medications
fall into three categories. The first includes drugs that increase the level of
dopamine in the brain. The second category affects neurotransmitters in the
body to ease some of the symptoms of the disease. The third category includes
medications that help control the non-motor symptoms, such as depression.
There
are two commonly used surgical treatments for Parkinson’s: pallidotomy
and deep brain stimulation. Because these procedures are invasive, they are
usually reserved for severely afflicted patients who do not get adequate relief
from medications.
Surgeons
discovered that by removing or destroying parts of the brain that were
“misfiring,” some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s could be alleviated.
One
of these operations is pallidotomy.
Scientists
have found that they can mimic the effects of pallidotomy
by deep brain stimulation. With deep brain stimulation, an electrode is
implanted in the brain in a way that calms the abnormal neuronal firing. Deep
brain stimulation is now the primary surgical intervention for Parkinson’s.
A
wide variety of complementary and supportive therapies may be used. Among these
therapies are standard rehabilitation techniques, which can help with problems
such as gait and voice disorders, tremors and rigidity, and cognitive decline.
Exercise may help people improve their mobility.
While
Parkinson’s is a complex disease, research has progressed a great deal in
recent years. Halting the progression of Parkinson’s, restoring lost function,
and even preventing the disease is now considered realistic goals.
If
you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com
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2008 by Fred Cicetti