Parkinson’s is one of the diseases that worries older adults the most, since it is a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time. Although the main symptom is tremors in the hands, there is one that appears long before the diagnosis.
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“Parkinson’s is what we call a disorder of the movement because it affects our movement, but there is a whole facet of Parkinson’s that is not motor”explained Rachel Dolhun, a neurologist and senior medical advisor at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Many people believe that it is a movement disease, but the truth is that it also affects various parts of the body, and some do not usually associate the symptoms.
“For a long time we thought it was just a movement disease, pbut now we see that it affects the entire body in different ways”he added.
According to the expert, Parkinson’s is one of the most common neurological disorders in the world; so much so that cases are expected to rise to 25.2 million by 2050.
Parkinson’s affects various parts of the body. Photo:iStock
While inherited genetic mutations are associated with 10 to 15 percent of cases, the remainder have no known cause. Although the symptoms can be controlled with treatment, there is currently no cure. Additionally, some specialists believe that exercise reduces the risk of developing the disease.
To diagnose this disease, neurologists look for characteristic movement symptoms, such as slowness, stiffness, and tremor at rest, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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On the other hand, not all symptoms are motor, since sometimes constipation and nausea may appear. loss of smell, which could occur before diagnosis.
“It is a slow-moving disease, and we are realizing how slow it can be. It advances in the brain year after year, until it reaches the threshold at which doctors can make the diagnosis,” argued Ronald Postuma, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University in Montreal.
The early stage of Parkinson’s is known as the prodromal phase and marks the beginning of a gradual progression of the disease. In recent decades, researchers have made significant progress and hope that one day it will be possible to detect it in a timely manner.
Loss of smell is one of the least known symptoms of Parkinson’s. Photo:iStock
“It is important to note that not all people who present these symptoms develop Parkinson’s. But We know that, in some people, these can be some of the first signs”Dolhun said.
Specialists identified four early symptoms that usually occur in a person who will later be diagnosed with this disease.
1. Loss of sense of smell
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One of the symptoms that many often overlook is the inability to detect odors, known as anosmia, which could be a temporary side effect of a cold or a sinus infection, or even a permanent problem after covid-19.
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According to the specialist, more than 90 percent of people with Parkinson’s lose their sense of smell over time.
“We have estimated that the loss of the sense of smell occurs 20 years before the disease is diagnosed. We know that people who lose their sense of smell smell have an approximately five times greater risk of developing Parkinson’s in the future”Postuma said.
Many do not usually associate this difficulty with the disease, since it is a gradual process that affects the body little by little.
“People lose the ability to detect and identify odors, and often they are not very aware of it because the process is very gradual”, he stated.
Parkinson’s can manifest non-motor symptoms. Photo:iStock
2. Representation of dreams
REM sleep behavior disorder (rapid eye movement sleep) is a condition characterized by the loss of this paralysis, leading people to act physically during their rest, as they may sit up in bed, have one-sided conversations, and even hit or kick their partner.
Some research has shown that between 50 percent and 70 percent of people People who suffer from this behavior will develop Parkinson’s disease or a related condition, such as Lewy body dementia, in an average of five to ten years.
3. Constipation
Although constipation is one of the most common complaints, when it persists for several weeks or more, it affects two-thirds of people with Parkinson’s, since some research has found accumulations of abnormal proteins in the neurons that line the intestines of people who suffer from this disease.
“Even people who suffer from constipation in their 20s and 30s seem to have a higher chance of developing Parkinson’s 30 or 40 years later. So now we start to ask: Does the disease affect the nerves that control the intestine or is it Is constipation also a risk factor for Parkinson’s?”Postuma argued.
4. Dizziness when standing up
Postural low blood pressure, known as orthostatic hypotension, is a drop in blood pressure that occurs when a person goes from sitting or lying down to standing.
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“When the origin is neurological – that is, it is not due to dehydration, medication or a heart problem – approximately half of these patients develop Parkinson’s or a related condition. Therefore, it is a very high risk factor. However, most people do not have a neurological cause,” Postuma stressed.
According to the expert, a study revealed that orthostatic hypotension, without apparent explanation, was associated with a later diagnosis of Parkinson’s or a related condition in 18 of 79 patients after a 10-year follow-up.
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