The probability of Parkinson's disease in young and middle-aged people increases. Early diagnosis and treatment are the key

April 11th of each year is World Parkinson's Day. Parkinson's disease is a common neurological disorder that mainly affects the elderly, mostly after the age of 60. Nowadays, the probability of young and middle-aged people suffering from Parkinson's disease has increased. Doctors suggest that for Parkinson's disease, early detection and early intervention are of great significance.

Parkinson's disease is more likely in young people

In recent years, more and more middle-aged people in their forties and fifties have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease caused by the degeneration of dopamine-secreting nerve cells in the brain. The prevalence of Parkinson's disease in people over 65 years old in my country is 1.7%. With the acceleration of aging, the number of elderly Parkinson's patients is increasing. Studies have found that nearly 25% of patients are under the age of 65, and 5% to 10% of patients are under the age of 50. In recent years, the probability of young and middle-aged people suffering from Parkinson's disease has also been increasing.

Ms. Fu, 54, from Xiamen, Fujian, developed unexplained limb stiffness and weakness in 2017, and walked unsteadily. Later, doctors diagnosed Ms. Fu with Parkinson's disease.

Patient Ms. Fu: My left heel and left hand were stiff. I wasn’t shaking, but I was just stiff. At that time, I could control it by taking medicine, but later I couldn’t control it anymore. I even had trouble speaking and couldn’t walk. I sat there and couldn’t get up.

At the beginning of last year, after surgery, Ms. Fu's symptoms were greatly improved. Currently, she can move around without much hindrance.

Parkinson's disease early symptoms include motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms

Parkinson's disease has an insidious onset and slow progression. Early symptoms include motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms. Motor symptoms include resting tremor, also known as "shaking", as well as bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, and postural balance disorders.

Mao Wei, a member of the Neurology Group of the Chinese Medical Association's Geriatric Branch: For example, when you are doing some fine movements, such as writing, buttoning, shoe lacing, etc., you find that your hands are not as flexible and your movements are slower. For example, when walking, the limb on the side that first has symptoms will not swing its arm naturally.

In addition to motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms may include sensory disturbances, sleep disorders, autonomic dysfunction, depression, etc.

Mao Wei, a member of the Neurology Group of the Chinese Medical Association's Geriatric Branch: The most specific problem is a sleep problem, which we call rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. It means that during sleep, there are shouting or movements related to dreams.

The causes of the disease include aging, genetics, and environment.

Experts say Parkinson's disease is caused by aging, genetics, and the environment. The younger the patient, the greater the proportion of genetic factors in the cause.

Mao Wei, a member of the Neurology Group of the Chinese Medical Association's Geriatric Branch: Hereditary Parkinson's disease accounts for about 10% to 15% of Parkinson's disease patients. Environmental factors are also one of the causes of Parkinson's disease. Have you ever been exposed to herbicides or pesticides? Have you ever been exposed to heavy metals? Have you ever been poisoned by carbon monoxide?

In addition, experts point out that some patients may have Parkinson's disease related to other brain diseases. For example, damage to brain structure caused by cerebral infarction may lead to secondary Parkinson's syndrome, which manifests similarly to Parkinson's disease.

Early diagnosis and treatment are the key

For Parkinson's disease, early detection and early intervention are of great significance. Doctors say that preventing and treating cerebral arteriosclerosis can help prevent Parkinson's disease. If you have chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, you should do a good job of disease control and management.

In addition to drug treatment and surgical treatment, doctors recommend that Parkinson's patients should engage in regular physical exercise in their daily lives to help slow the progression of the disease.

(Source: CCTV News Client)