Anyone guessing on the causes of PD>

[shakenlady]

[jillannf6]

Hi shaken lady

causes r not known- i hav PSP a rare type of parkinsons and it just is something which willl shorten my life by about 25 years

(tilll i was diagnosed i thought i would be like my dad and live until i was 90 but no chance of that now

BUT I am upbeat nearly all the time as i know the causes of my heath problems - not the PD or PSP as yet

love jill

[WayneP]

I just love this question!!! I feel that yes, some people are going to get PD because of an inherited trait but I am convinced that environmental issues are causing the bulk of the cases along with Alzheimer's. With all of the artificial stuff in our foods and processing, pesticides, pollution and such we have seen a huge increase in these types of cases over the years with a forecast for even more in the future. To be honest, I feel they know this already but because of the massive amount of lawsuits that could come out from something like this like it did in the tobacco industry they are very silent about it. Just think if it was caused by a simple thing as fluoride additive. It's in toothpaste to the water we drink. Just my opinion.

By the way, I don't believe in aliens. LOL!!!

Wayne

[srarndt in reply to WayneP]

Maybe, but do aliens believe in you?

[ronn]

Hello, Shaken Lady--- Until recently I believed in the "insult to the brain" theory which blames trauma to the head or exposure to caustic substances. (In Korea we were subject to "saturation flyovers" with insecticides designed to kill the bugs which cause Hemorrhagic Fever. ) If however, that theory were valid, the vast majority of PD patients would be men. That does not seem to be the case. I wonder if there is a statistic on the ratio.

Wishing you well,

Ronn

[srarndt]

Hello Shaken Lady,

No one is quite sure what causes PD. Researchers have found some common factors that seem to increase the likeliness of getting PD, but no real "smoking gun". Common factors include genetics, genetic mutations, environmental triggers (pesticides, herbicides, certain metals, various chemicals, well water, etc.) and traumatic brain injuries. One common response you might encounter to your question is that "genetics load the gun and environmental factors pull the trigger" which would imply that it might take both common factors.

You are not alone in wondering about this. Between the researchers who are pursuing answers about cause with the hope it might lead to a cure, to the millions of us with PD trying to figure out how it is we got so "lucky" it seems that enquiring minds REALLY want to know!

I know as a child growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that there was plenty of opportunity to be exposed to various culprits in the forms of chemicals and metals. For several years large trucks with giant fogging machines used to come through town fogging elm trees with the hope of eliminating the dutch elm beetles which were decimating the beautiful elm trees lining our city streets, and at boyscout camp, jeeps with foggers mounted on the back would drive through the campsites (frequently around dinner time - nonetheless!) in the effort to kill the mosquitoes that plagued us campers from dusk to dawn. In neither case did we have any idea about avoiding breathing the fogged insectides. More over as a child we used to find scrap lead arount different places and melt them into toy soldiers and as an elementary school nerd I was in charge of the "science closet" full of equipment that the teachers would use for that segment of their classes I developed a sort of popularity that had to do with my having access to bottles of mercury that made for great fun when you took handfulls of the stuff and threw it against the walls just to see how the liquid metal behaved - not realizing again how these metals might have a long term impact. Later in life as a green house manager in Phoenix, AZ we consitstantly used pescticides, herbicides and fungicides. I remember using all kinds of "better living through modern chemistry" products around the house, too.

Many of these items are now considered serious toxins, and would result in having a hazmat team show up at your door if you had a spill of them on your property.

Any of which, also, leads us to ponder the why me kind of question. My older brother was exposed to most all of the same culprits, has very close genetics and yet, shows no sign of PD.

Go figure.

Steve (Bisbee, AZ)

[Beachdog]

My bet is on a virus which triggers the ailment

[shakenlady]

My bet is on a prion. A BAD PROTEIN THAT TURNS GOOD PRO†EINS BAD.

PROBABLY THE ONE THAT CAUSES ALL THE IRON TO BUILD UP IN OUR

BRAINS

I BLAME THE CAT I DISSECTED IN ZOOLOGY. HE HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMTHING

[bawford]

Yes everyone is GUESSING. I spoke to a 92 yr old doctor who is still practing, I'd trust this doctor with my Grandsons. Very intelligent - her theory is it is a virus. Think about it - if Environment - why doesn't everyone you went all through premarried life with have it. (145 in graduating class - I am only one) If it was passed on in bloodline - why am I the only one on both sides in 4 generations (huge family 9 - 14 children in one family, those have tons of kids.

Well over 700 people on one side - no one! If it was pestisides - well I won't even go there - grew up on a farm, as did those all around. Head injuries - may contribute to severity, but NO again. Every NFL, NHL, and gang member would be PWP. I got hit in the right eye with a hard ball line drive. (ouch!!) Sinus problems due to it only. Siblings had a few childhood bump Virus - makes more sense, I think, We'll find a cure, I sure of it.

[shakenlady]

I LIIVED ON THE SAME FARM FROM 1955-1967 AND 1975- 2007.

THERE WERE 5 PEOPLE WITH PD AND 10 WHO DIDN'T.