Parkinson's, a chronic disease that usually occurs over the age of 50, is characterized by symptoms such as trembling in the hands and slowing down in walking. Experts point out the importance of regular medication use and doctor control in Parkinson's, and emphasize that patients can continue their normal lives with regular treatment.

Every year, April 11 is commemorated as "World Parkinson's Disease Day" all over the world in order to raise social awareness and consciousness about Parkinson's disease.

Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Neurology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said that Parkinson's is a movement disorder caused by the deficiency of a substance called dopamine in the brain. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said that the symptoms of Parkinson's are slowing down in movements, tremors in the hands or feet and stiffness in the muscles.
Parkinson's can be treated

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin stated that Parkinson's is a chronic, long-term disorder that usually occurs over the age of 50 and said, "The disease usually starts with tremor or rigidity in a single limb. It can spread to other limbs over time. Parkinson's disease is a treatable disease, but this treatment usually requires lifelong medication."

Beware of tremor in the hands!

Explaining the symptoms of Parkinson's, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin gave the following information:

"In Parkinson's disease, tremors are seen in the hands, especially at rest, that is, when the person is not doing any work. Secondly, there may be a slowdown in walking. This slowdown is usually due to walking with small steps. There may also be a slowdown in the person's hand movements. Slowing of hand movements may prevent the person from performing daily tasks. The last symptom is muscle stiffness. This symptom usually manifests itself as muscle and joint pain and difficulty in dressing and undressing."

Dopamine deficiency is the main cause

Stating that dopamine deficiency due to degeneration in neurons producing dopamine in the brain is the main cause of Parkinson's, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said, "Some patients may also have Parkinson's symptoms due to vascular occlusion in the brain."

Regular use of medications is very important

Stating that in the treatment of Parkinson's patients, drugs that complement the missing dopamine in the brain are used first, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said, "Many patients can continue their lives normally or with minimal problems with these treatments. What the patient should do in treatment is to take the medications as prescribed by the doctor and regularly. In addition to medications, physiotherapy can be used in some patients to improve quality of life. In a small group of patients, medications may stop working or cause side effects after a long period of use. In this case, the technique of surgically implanting stimulating electrodes in the brain can be used."

Normal life can be resumed with treatment

Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin listed his recommendations as follows: "Since Parkinson's is a disease that requires lifelong medication, I recommend that our patients first use their medications regularly and come to regular physician control. In recent years, many new drugs have been used in the treatment of this disease and the quality of life due to these drugs has increased. There is no reason for our patients to despair when they are diagnosed with Parkinson's. Many of our patients can continue their normal lives with treatment."