What are the causes of Parkinsonism and h... - Cure Parkinson's
What are the causes of Parkinsonism and how does it differ from Parkinsons?
This is a straight copy from the Thesaurus iin Microsoft Word 2007
Parkinsonism
A group of nervous disorders
a nervous disorder marked by symptoms of trembling limbs and muscular rigidity, e.g. Parkinson's disease. These disorders may be caused by the frequent use of some drugs or by exposure to chemicals.
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Parkinson’s (or Parkinson’s disease)
illness affecting nerves that makes you shake. a serious illness that affects your nerves and makes you shake and move slowly. It mainly affects older people. Parkinson’s disease is often simply called Parkinson’s.
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Any help for you? To me, it looks like a year 2 primary school kid wroteit
Thanks alllowercases, I stil wonder at the difference between the two.
it appears to be a technical difference in the vocabulary. If you read it carefully, Parkinsonism is the name for a group of nervous disorders, which includes in it's ranks PD, MS, Alzheimers, etc.
When they refer to PD, they refer to it in it's own right as a separate entity within the group that forms the "ism"
Parkinson's Disease, as I understand it, is caused by damage to the substantia nigra in the brain where dopamine is made. The brain damage may be caused by traumatic injury or by brain injury from living or working in a toxic environment. Parkinsonism, as I understand it, is when Parkinson's Disease-like symptoms are caused by brain damage which does not affect the substantia nigra in the brain. I myself am in a situation where the neurologist cannot decide whether I have Parkinson's Disease or Parkinsonism,and this is how it was explained to me. Evidently the outlook for Parkinsonism is somewhat better than for Parkinson's Disease. If you manage to overcome or improve your symptoms, they always like to tell you that it is because you really have Parkinsonism and not really Parkinson's Disease.
This is my understanding of the difference:
Parkinsonism is an umbrella term used to cover a range of conditions. These conditions share the main symptoms of slow movement, possible tremor, rigidity, problems with walking.
Most people with a form of parkinsonism have idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD), also known as Parkinson’s. Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown.
Those not diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s may have another type of Parkinsonism.
Forms of parkinsonism that are currently recognised, other than Parkinson’s, include:
Benign tremor conditions, including benign essential tremor (BET), dystonic tremor, indeterminate tremor and atypical tremor
MSA
PSP
Vascular Parkinsons
Drug induced Parkinsons.
Well, I have Parkinsonism, Very similar to what you all express. I have no tremors, except my jaws. But balance is dreadful. Even standing still, I shake, as if I were drunk. Walking is very hard - tipping side to side.-Very much like being drunk.. I cannot write so you could read it . I sleep well, but am very tired all the time. I feel so good if I don't move around. But it is something when I get out a out of a chair. My voice is very much affected. I'm not taking anything but sinemet, and just a small dose - three a day. I do take a lot of anti- depressent, but have taken this for years - but upped he dosage.Typing is getting more difficult all the time.
But if anyone can tell me what to do about balance, please shout. Oh, typing is getting difficult.
Hello
! have also been diagnosed with Parkinsonism because I don't have all of the symptoms of PD!! Mainly I don't have the tremors!
My balance is terrible and my voice is very soft which drives my boyfriend crazy!!! I also can't write! I can stilll type!
I am on Baclofen which also seems to affect my speech and I take 3 Sinemet pills per day!
I am trying to stay positive butt it is increasingly difficult such as today as my boyfriend is at a wedding dancing and I am here alone!
Not everyone has tremor with PD Maidar, its not necessary to have one to be diagnosed with PD.
i do feel for you and wonder why you couldn't go dancing too, oh so hard for you! I do hope you are under the care of a neurologist especially a movement neuro if possible.
Maidar, I feel for your situation. My friends all went dancing last night. My mind wanted to go but my body said "are you kidding me?"
Does the Sinemet help at all?
Thank you! i am not really sure if the Sinemet helps or not!
A poor resonse to Levodopa which is the main active reagent in Sinemet is often a sign that a a diagnosis of PD is incorrect. Or as happened to me I was simply in need of a bigger dose. I was unable to tell the difference after taking a pill at the lower dose The fist time I took a bigger dose (double) the result was profound. I felt great and could move more o less normally..
One of the few symptoms particular to one of the of the possible alternatives is to do with up or downwards gaze. I wonder do you have any restrictions upon your upward or downward gaze, using eye movement only?
The term Parkinsonism just means you haven't had a precise diagnosis yet.
There are so many possible symptoms from which to choose if you have PD. If you don't have several of the popular ones that does not mean that you don't have PD.
Some time ago I made a list of signs and symptoms that accompany my own PD. I stopped at number 38. Revising this list now I would probably take two or three off the list but I might add some too.
My husband's diagnosis was Parkinsonism and he's on the maximum dose now. His speech is difficult and slow and he constantly leans more and more over to the left with his head down on his chest. He will fall asleep leaning to the left with his hand reaching the floor if I don't prop him up. Very sad for someone who was an artist, musician, sculptor and excellent snooker player. We both believe he got Parkinsons through years of taking antacids for ulcers, there's aluminium in antacids, so be warned change your diet rather than keep taking that stuff.
Parkinsonism s a generic term for all Parkinson's disease like ailments. It is usually used when no definitive diagnosis is yet clear. Parkinson's disease that afflicts most is often called Idiopathic Parkinson's disease where Idiopathic means "of no known cause". This being the true for most cases and only a few may be diagnosed as inherited.
Diseases that come under the term Parkinsonism or
may be misdiagnosed as, in the early stages are :-
1. Idiopathic Parkinson's disease - most common
2, Vascular Parkinson's
3. Drug induced PD
4, Inherrited PD
5. Juvenile PD
6. Multiple Systems Atrophy MSA
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy PSP
Three different sub-types that I can't remember the names or descriptions of
7. PSP 1st
8. PSP 2nd
9. PSP 3rd
10. Cortico-Basal Degeneration CBD - related to PSP
11. Lewy body dementia
12. Alzheimer's
13. Multiple Sclerosis
14. Huntingdon's disese
15. Essential Tremor ET or BET
16. And there's probably more.
Terms for those ailments described as Parkinsonism may also be named ‘atypical parkinsonism’ or ‘Parkinson’s plus’.
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