Is Parkinson’s disease contagious?Virus causes and risk factors

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that occurs when brain cells begin to die. This is usually age related and 1% Of people over 60 years old.

Parkinson’s disease usually progresses slowly over the years.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include:

• trembling
• Slow movement
• Hard and stiff muscles that make movement difficult
• Changes in gait (shuffle, small steps)
• Difficulty of balance and adjustment
• Changes in speech (soft speech, monotone speech)
• Posture changes
• Thinking and memory problems. It is more common in late-stage and atypical Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinsonism is a general term used to describe the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The term refers to both conditions that cause symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.

Some neurological conditions and physical illnesses can cause symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease. Some of these conditions are sometimes called atypical Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s syndrome tends to progress faster than Parkinson’s disease. It also tends to include additional symptoms that are not commonly seen in Parkinson’s disease.

Example Neurodegeneration Parkinsonism includes: Multiple system atrophy Corticobasal degeneration.

Doctors do not know exactly why Parkinson’s disease affects certain people. Researchers now believe that multiple factors are involved, including a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

about 10 percent The proportion of people with Parkinson’s disease has a family history of that condition. However, most people have what is known as idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. Idiopathic is a term used by doctors to describe a condition without a known cause.

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes Parkinson’s disease, but they know what’s happening in the brain when someone is in that condition.

Part of the brain, called the basal ganglia, contains neurons that produce dopamine. Dopamine Is a neurotransmitter (chemical substance) that has many functions in the body such as smooth movement of muscles.

In people with Parkinson’s disease, dopamine-producing neurons die or become impaired. As a result, less dopamine is available in the brain.

Another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine can also affect people with Parkinson’s disease. It is a neurotransmitter that controls heart rate, blood pressure, and other physical functions.

Some severe viral and bacterial infections encephalitis, This is a dangerous condition that causes inflammation in the brain. Encephalitis can cause symptoms like Parkinson’s disease. This has led researchers to explore the relationship between viral infections and parkinsonism.

To date, this research is limited. Infections may be involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease, but researchers have not yet found a clear relationship.

The viruses under investigation are:

To be clear, getting one of these viruses does not mean getting Parkinson’s disease. Researchers are trying to determine if an infection can change something in a person’s body and make it more vulnerable to the condition.

Researchers are trying to find out if there is a link between early-stage illness and an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.

according to 2019 research reviewThere is some evidence to suggest it:

• People who have been vaccinated against the flu may be less likely to have Parkinson’s disease than those who have not.
• Higher level people Herpes simplex virus Their bodies may have more severe symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
• People with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to be infected with the Epstein-Barr virus than the average person.
• People with a history of Hepatitis C You may be more likely to get Parkinson’s disease than others.

There are several risk factors for Parkinson’s disease that are better understood. These known risk factors have stronger supporting evidence than the infection-related risk factors described above.

The risk factors for Parkinson’s disease are:

• Sex. Parkinson’s disease is common in men assigned to men at birth.
• Year. Parkinson’s disease is more common in the elderly and increases in risk with age. Young people rarely get Parkinson’s disease, but it can begin to develop years before symptoms appear.
• Genetics. Parkinson’s disease is common in people who have several relatives with this condition.
• toxin. People exposed to pesticides and other toxins may be at increased risk.

There is no single test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease. The doctor relies on a physical examination and a history of your symptoms to make a diagnosis. They especially look for exercise-related symptoms such as how you walk.

Your doctor may perform some tests to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms such as stroke. Tests include imaging tests, blood tests, and more.The doctor may prescribe Parkinson’s disease medicine See if a person’s symptoms improve.

If you have a significant family history of Parkinson’s disease, your doctor may be able to perform a genetic test. However, this is expensive and unusual.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease of unknown cause. Researchers continue to link potential root causes, hoping to prevent the disease from developing completely someday.