According to the UN’s World Population Ageing Report 2015, the elderly population in India is estimated to grow by 64% by 2030. Diseases such as Parkinson’s, commonly found in the elderly, can become a major healthcare challenge in the near future if not detected and managed well within time. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects body movements, easily identified by tremors of hands, stiffness of body parts and slowing of movement.
Parkinson’s affects dopamine (a chemical messenger in the brain) producing cells in brain) which gradually break down or die. When the dopamine levels drop, it leads to abnormal brain activity leading to symptoms of Parkinson’s. Most symptoms of the disease such as tremor, slow movement, changes in speech amongst others, occur due to the reduced levels of dopamine. While the major cause for Parkinson’s is still unknown, higher age is important risk factor for the disease.
The symptoms for Parkinson’s begin gradually and worsen over time. Hence, it is crucial to identify and treat the disease in time to prevent long term complications and can have a major impact on their quality of life.
Listed below are a few preventive measures which if followed life-long can help prevent the oncoming or control the progression of Parkinson’s disease:
1. Regular exercise: Exercising and engaging in physical activities daily is important to maintain active life in PD. In addition to physical benefits like increasing lung capacity, bone density and overall longevity, exercise has a significant impact on brain health.
2. Dietary Changes: Consuming a well-balanced and nutritious diet is important for overall health and well-being. One must regularly eat fresh, raw vegetables and seasonal fruits to strengthen immunity. Foods such as broccoli, spinach, leafy green vegetables, peas, chickpeas are rich in folic acid. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, pastured eggs and walnuts help prevent cell degeneration and have the added benefits of balancing cholesterol levels, boosting immunity, and enhancing cardiovascular health. It is also important to eat healthy as pesticides and herbicides have been implicated in pathogenesis of Parkinson’s.
3. Reduce stress: Any kind of stress, be it physical, mental or emotional is harmful for health and the same holds true for Parkinson’s also. Stress causes inflammation and long- term damage throughout the body and must be prevented or controlled.
4. Adequate intake of Vitamin D: Few studies have shown that patients with Parkinson’s have very low levels of Vitamin D which may affect severity of disease with low level as risk factor for more severity of disease. It creates a challenge in the absorption of calcium and phosphorous which the body needs more as age progresses. Inadequacy in these nutrients can lead to health hazards among the aged. Vitamin D can be taken in from two primary sources i.e. sunlight and consuming animal fats like fish, egg yolks, salmon etc.
5. Management of symptoms: At initial stage, Parkinson’s can be managed through self- care, lifestyle modifications, exercise but later will need medication or surgery depending upon the severity of the condition. In the advanced stages, deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery may be required when patients develops complications of medications and other symptoms. Patients with PD must of at least 4 years duration with significant motor complications when DBS can be advised. After DBS surgery, it may take few weeks to program the DBS for optimal effect, while oral medications are being reduced over this period.
(Author is Dr Vinay Goyal, Director (Neurology), Institute of Neurosciences, Medanta)
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