What is Parkinson's Disease and What are the Herbal Recommendations?

Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive, degenerative disorder of the nervous system. Its most prominent features are tremor at rest, difficulty in initiating movements, and muscle rigidity. Parkinson's disease affects one in every 250 people over the age of 40, and this rate can increase to 1/100 over the age of 651. Parkinson's disease, which is the second most common disease caused by nervous system damage in the elderly population after Alzheimer's disease, is seen more frequently in men than in women at a rate of 3/2. Causes of the Disease There are structures called basal ganglia in the deep regions of the brain. The function of these ganglia is to make the movement smoother and more harmonious when a person initiates a movement (e.g. lifting their arm) and to adjust the body's balance. In order to perform these functions, the basal ganglia process the signals that travel between the layers of the brain and play a role in their transmission. While these signals are transmitted as electrical signals on nerve cells, chemical substances (neurotransmitters) are used in communication between nerve cells. The main neurotransmitter used in the basal ganglia is dopamine.

In Parkinson's disease, these dopamine-producing nerve cells are destroyed and the connections between the nerve cells and the muscles are also reduced. The cause of this destruction and dopamine loss is mostly unknown. Genetic factors do not seem to play a significant role, but the disease can sometimes be seen in families. In some cases, the disease can be seen for a specific reason. Severe inflammation (inflammation) as a result of infection of the brain with viruses, exposure to certain drugs or poisons, and some other degenerative diseases can also cause Parkinson's disease.

Onset Parkinson's disease begins insidiously and progresses very slowly. In many patients, the onset is a tremor that begins in the hand at rest, decreases with voluntary movement, and disappears completely during sleep. Emotional stress and fatigue may increase the tremor, and the tremor has a regular, rhythmic character. The tremor progresses from one hand to the other, to the arms and legs over time. Tremors may also occur in the jaw, tongue, head, and eyelids. In about one-third of patients, tremors may not be the initial symptom, tremors may appear later in life, or in some patients, tremors may never be seen at all1.

Symptoms Patients have difficulty initiating movement, and the stiffness that occurs in the muscles makes movement even more difficult. When the patient's forearm is bent at the elbow by someone else or when they try to straighten it, there may be a stiffness and a feeling as if there are gears in the joint. This stiffness and immobility in the muscles causes muscle pain and fatigue. Since the muscles in the hands are also frequently affected, it becomes increasingly difficult to do everyday tasks such as buttoning up or tying shoes1.

Great effort is required to take a step, patients take short steps while walking, their arms do not swing in harmony with the gait. Some patients, once they start walking, cannot stop or turn right or left, they have to run slightly because their steps accelerate on their own. Their body posture becomes stooped, they have difficulty maintaining balance, they tend to fall forward or backward. Other Symptoms There is an expressionless appearance on their face because of the limited movement of the muscles that provide expression. This expressionless appearance can be confused with depression, but many Parkinson's patients already have depression. In advanced stages, a blank stare, an open mouth, and irregular blinking of the eyelids may occur. Their speech is low-pitched, monotonous, and there may be stuttering. Many patients have dementia

Symptoms such as drop in blood pressure when standing up (orthostatic hypotension), oily skin, constipation, urinary disorders, and increased saliva amount may accompany this condition.

Course of the Disease Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive disease. It is not possible to predict how quickly and to what extent a patient's condition will deteriorate. Some evidence suggests that the clinical picture may deteriorate more rapidly in older patients with more pronounced muscle stiffness and slow movements. There is also some weak evidence that the disease may progress rapidly in men and in patients with a history of stroke, hearing and vision problems3.

Treatment Parkinson's disease is the disease that responds best to treatment among diseases that damage the nervous system. The goals of treatment are to alleviate the patient's complaints that disrupt daily life and activities and to limit or prevent problems that arise as the disease progresses2. Various medications are used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. None of these medications completely cure the disease or stop its progression, but they make it easier for the patient to move and prolong the period in which they can continue their functional life on their own for years.

The patient should do his/her daily work as much as he/she can, do regular exercises, do physical therapy, and use walking aids to help him/her continue his/her daily life activities. Consuming high-fiber foods can reduce constipation, which is frequently seen. It is necessary to pay special attention to nutrition, because serious nutritional disorders can be seen in patients with severely impaired swallowing movements.

Herbal Suggestions

1. recipe