While there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, researchers have discovered information that explains how it occurs. A neurotransmitter called dopamine is largely responsible for the onset of Parkinson’s and its symptoms. Orlando Prestige Home Care can further explain what PD is and how dopamine plays a role in the disease.
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease typically affects elderly people. It is a progressive illness that affects the nervous system and causes stooped posture, decreased mobility, and muscle rigidity and tremors. The disease is degenerative and worsens at a gradual rate that varies from person to person. People who experience severe symptoms due to Parkinson’s typically require Orlando live-in home care coupled with PD treatments to manage the symptoms. The exact cause is not yet known, and there is no cure readily available, but there are treatment options that help alleviate symptoms.
How Do Dopamine Levels Affect Parkinson’s?
When areas of the brain like the corpus striatum and the substantia nigra, which control and maintain muscle movement, are damaged, Parkinson’s disease occurs. Certain neurons produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which transmits the messages and signals between these brain regions and the rest of the body. When those nerve cells die or can no longer function, they produce less dopamine than the brain requires. When the brain cannot transmit electrical signals and messages to the body with the help of dopamine, it causes the mobility impairments experienced by seniors with PD.
Parkinson’s is not fatal, but it can cause serious complications that are life threatening. That being said, elderly people with PD are not without comfort or relief thanks to treatments, therapies, and Parkinson’s care for Orlando seniors. Prestige Home Care caregivers focuses on socialization, physical activity, and a healthy diet, to help seniors enhance health and overall life quality. Call us today at 407.232.7155 to schedule your free consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.