It’s imperative that we should proactively adapt and strive for a strategy that helps us to stay away from inevitable health issues, especially in old age. Early diagnosis will enable us to prevent, manage and cure well. Just look around: have you seen someone among your elderly friends or family members getting very slow in their routine tasks? Are they having these issues: Tremors, shuffling gait, getting stuck in a freezing position, finding it difficult to start or stop an on-going task, long period of time to complete simple tasks, increase in frequency of fall, balance and coordination issues or an inability to express desires and emotions?
If yes, then he or she should visit a physician to check for it could be a case of Parkinson’s disease? Early awareness and better knowledge about the disease may enable acting proactively. So what is Parkinson’s disease? It’s a neurodegenerative brain disorder. Degeneration of structures such as Substantia Nigra of Basal Ganglia (that produces Dopamine) may lead to this disease. The causes are not clear. Genetic predisposition, environmental factors such as herbicide, smoking, exposure to MPTP, history of head injuries, infection, involvement in sports such as boxing, rugby, etc. have been documented so far. Parkinson’s disease is relatively common in old age and is more prevalent in males.
Diagnosis
Detailed history of events and information from family members is important. UK Brain Bank Criterion, Hoehn and Yahr Disability Scale, Unified Parkinson’s disease Rating Scale, CT scan or MRI scan may abet in the process of diagnosis. It’s important to differentiate with other diseases such as progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy and cerebral stroke affecting Basal Ganglia.
Clinical Motor Presentations
Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Dignity Dialogue.
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Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Dignity Dialogue.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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I Hope I Never Lose My Voice
Asha Bhosle, the evergreen playback singer who has some of the greatest film hits to her credit, celebrated her 88th birthday in September 2020. But age has never been a determining factor. She continues to do what she loves the most – singing.
Reverse Mortgage: A Boon for Seniors
The thought of being financially independent, not running short of funds in case of medical emergencies and not being a burden on their children accords a lot of mental peace and a restored sense of dignity to the elderly. Dr. Sampath Iyer explains how reverse mortgage makes this possible.
Get Rid of that Bronchial Cough
Symptoms of acute bronchitis usually resolve within one or two weeks with home treatment. You should start to feel noticeably better after a few days. Meanwhile, drink plenty of water and warm liquids and eat healthy foods. The article highlights some of the home remedies that work.
Build Bridges, Not Walls
To be able to live in harmony with each other, we must learn to not just contact but also connect, suggests V Anand Kumar.
Balancing Spirituality and Indulgence
Susanne Kempken, co-founder of The Guided Meditation Site, explains why there is no harm in being indulgent while being spiritual.
Self-Control: The Need of the Hour
‘The Marshmallow Test’ by Walter Mischel is a good book to read for those interested in understanding self-control and learning how to master it. Indira Ananthakrishnan gets into further details of what it means.
Different Kinds of Wills
Wills are an important part of the financial planning process. A will is a legal declaration that spells out a person’s wishes and intentions in matters of care of dependents or inheritance of property after his or her own death. Here is an article on the different types of wills.
Doctor in the Kitchen
Even as we turn to finding a cure for our ailments in our kitchens and gardens, Dr. Sonam Vohra provides an insight into what makes for a home remedy and why caution is required.
Stick to a Healthy Diet
Given the current pandemic there is so much information being shared about what makes for a healthy diet that it can become overwhelming. However, there are just a few simple pointers that you must keep in mind.
Understanding the Corona Virus Vaccine
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect oneself and others from severe illness or death, especially in the case of the coronavirus. This is in addition to other recommended precautions such as wearing mask, keeping social distance and maintaining a high level of hygiene. K R K Moorthy explains how the vaccine works and the possible side effects.
