Parkinson illness like other chronic illnesses, the treatment of Parkinson's disease must be continuous. The benefit for most patients is the improvement of symptoms and ability to maintain adequate physical activity. Many patients can continue working without further problems....

Essentially, current treatment involves the administration of specific drugs and physiotherapy. Thanks to the highly effective drugs available, it has managed to maintain patient autonomy, after many years of having started the disease; in the past the patient with Parkinson's was sentenced to a wheelchair shortly after the start of symptoms.

Medicamentos:

To be effective, drugs must be taken exactly as prescribed by the physician, for example, taking the appropriate number of tablets at the right time and carefully follow other specific instructions. It is important to remember that if you stop taking the drugs, the symptoms reappear. Moreover, since the response to drugs may be different in each patient, an effective dose for one may be insufficient for another. Therefore, drugs should always be taken under the direction of a physician, preferably a specialist in neurology, who will suggest changes in the schedule and dosage, according to their clinical condition.

EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE



At the present time is being performed in different centers of the world's medical research, clinical trials with new drugs, including Tolcapone, a drug that increases the activity of levodopa allowing lower doses to be administered to the patient. At the level of experimental surgery, brain transplants have been performed with tissue from the patient's own adrenal gland, which have not been successful; also have transplanted human fetal brain cells in patients with the disease, with successful results in some cases, knowing the average time in which the patient benefits, but this procedure provides a series of questions from the standpoint of ethical and moral.

A field that looks very promising in the future, is the biogenetic engineering, with which it has made special cells produce a substance known as neuronal growth factor, with which at least in theory, be achieved repopulate the brain dopamine-producing cells.

On the surgery, again returned to practice stereotactic surgery, which aims to destroy parts of the nuclei of the brain basis, achieving control some symptoms of the disease (thalamotomy, pallidotomy).

Another method which has succeeded in significantly improving the patient is using stimulators or "brain pacemaker", is appropriate to introduce microelectrodes in certain areas of the basal ganglia and through them mini-administered electrical stimuli that achieve control symptoms effectively.

STAY ACTIVE

Physical activity not only keeps the body agile, but with this you also enhance your mind and morals. A good rule of thumb is to stay as active as possible, but without exceeding the limits of energy and capacity of its own. Often this requires you to be cautious, you may notice that some days you feel more powerful and agile than others. This is a common feature of Parkinson's disease.

Try to keep your friends, relatives or other people help you unnecessarily. Bathe, dress and eat using yourself and do not be discouraged by your clumsiness. With practice and proper drug treatment, the rule is that there is improvement. Remember that even the simple realization of housework keeps you active.

They can be simple exercises for hands and fingers in various ways. For example, modeled clay figures, squeeze a ball, count coins, then tissue or timber size. If you want more specific exercises consult your doctor.

The exercise practiced regularly helps maintain mobility. The excessive rest is not the way to achieve symptom relief, on the contrary was observed that a sedentary lifestyle aggravates the manifestations of the disease.
Do not be ashamed of their illness, try not to think about the symptoms, remember that most people are so busy in their own affairs, not aware of the disease you have, as you might think.

PERSONAL CARE

It is important to bathe daily to keep your skin clean and free of grease or excessive sweating. If you spend much time sitting or lying (situations that definitely should try to avoid), change position frequently to prevent bedsores (pressure). If skin is red, especially the elbows, shoulder blades or base of the spine, gently massage your lotion does not irritate skin or moisturizing cream (cold cream, cream roses). You can help prevent excessive pressure at the base of the spine and buttocks sitting on a foam pad. Avoid sitting or lying on plastic surfaces, which can cause sweating and irritation of the skin with ulcers.

SAFETY IN THE BATHROOM

To avoid slipping in the bathtub. Put in it a non-slip rubber mat or decorative manufactured especially for this purpose, which adhere to the bottom of the tub. A railing around it will help you enter and salirde it. You will notice that you can swim with more confidence if you sit on a bench in the cockpit and uses a hand shower. Slightly raise the toilet seat and put a railing around it you can make it easier sitting and rising.

HOW TO DRESS

Choose clothing that is easy to apply and remove, zippers (zipper) are easier to handle than the buttons, and the adhesive strips (Belcro) may even be simpler to use. Prefer garments that open from the front rather than those placed over their heads or that open and close in the rear. Try to avoid using too narrow openings clothing. It suggests the use of moccasins and a long-handled shoehorn, for convenience.

As standing

Move forward to the edge of the seat, place your hands on the arms of the furniture, slide your feet underneath you and backwards, then tilt the body forward and stand up while driving with his arms.

Choose a heavy chair for use at home and give it special blocks four inches in height beneath his hind legs so that you can rise more easily (the lightweight chairs can slip).

If you need help getting up the seat, make the person who will help you stand by his side, he slide the nearest arm under his arm, he put his other arm behind the shoulder and lifted forward. Do not let a strong assistant pulling you up from the hand or arm, to avoid dislocation of the shoulder joint.

AS GETTING OUT OF BED

People who are severely affected can resort to a thick rope with several knots along and tied at the foot of the bed may be helpful to sit. You can do much more easily if you lift the head of the bed with pieces of wood, there are special devices that can be fixed to the ceiling of the room to facilitate such activities.

You will notice that with a firm mattress may move more easily in bed. The firmness of the mattress can be increased with a thick wooden table or a table specially constructed for this purpose.

NUTRITION

A well-balanced diet is important for maintaining proper weight. If you are overweight, reduce it to facilitate his movements. You will notice that it is necessary to submit to diet to keep from gaining weight due to decreased physical activity. Be sure to ask your doctor to recommend an appropriate diet to your own needs, since some foods and vitamins can interfere with the action of some of the drugs you are taking, but not all.

A diet with excess protein can interfere with the action of levodopa (Sinemet, Prolopa, Madopar), did not accomplish all the desired beneficial effect. If you want to achieve a good effect with treatment, the patient should remove your breakfast and lunch most of those high-protein foods like meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs and food supplements such check-box protein, Sustagen, etcetera and eat them for dinner to avoid nutritional imbalance.

If eating or drinking difficulties arise, try to use these simple remedies: the straw to sip liquids can solve the problem of having to raise the drinking glasses, a special cup, partially covered (beberito) may prevent them escaping the fluids. The use of rubber suction cups or rubber strips attached at the base of the plates and cups keep it from sliding when you eat. To facilitate the handling of knives and forks arrólleles a layer of foam rubber around the handle. If you eat slowly, serves a thermal tray to keep food warm.

CONCLUSIONS

You can help yourself stay more active as you can and follow all recommendations of your doctor. Although Parkinson's disease is a chronic, there are now drugs that usually help control symptoms very effectively. This allows patients with Parkinson's disease who continue leading productive lives.

Most of the problems encountered can be overcome if you take consistency and accuracy with their medications, to be remembered at all costs avoid self medication.

In general, perform its activities step by step, taking all the time you need. Practice makes even difficult tasks are made easier. Do not be embarrassed or too shy to ask for help. Your family and friends understand the disease because you have certain disorders and gladly accepted the opportunity to help.

Carmen R. Campbell
18 Grand Avenue
Winter Garden, FL 32787