Parkinson's Disease
By: Dom Gelina
Body Systems That are Affected
The brain and the nervous system
How The Body System Works Normally
The brain produces normal amounts of dopamine. With Parkinson's the cells that produce dopamine slowly degenerate and die.
How Parkinson's Disease Affects the Body -- The Doctors
Target Population
The target population for Parkinson's are males over the age of 50. Parkinson's affects 1% of the population and is very rare in children and young adults.
How Does This Condition Start
Nobody knows what caused Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's can be genetic and can run in families.
Diagnnosis
Professionals can run several tests to diagnose Parkinson's.
Symptoms
Balance problems
Drooling
Problems swallowing
Depression
Memory loss
Problems eating
Muscle pains
No facial expressions
- Difficulty moving
Treatments
There is no cure for Parkinson's but professionals can suggest and perform several treatments to help control the disease. Medicine can be prescribed to lessen the effects of the disease. Surgery can be performed to destroy the brain tissue that is affected by the disease. Deep brain stimulation can be performed to control movements. Experimental stem cell treatments are being tested.
Prognosis
If left untreated it can leave you completely disabled or can lead to an early death.
Connections
I have no personal connections but several famous people suffer from Parkinson's disease. Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 42. Michael J. Fox was diagnosed at the age of 30. Johnny Cash announced he had Parkinson's in 1997, He died in 2003.
Works Cited
"Famous Faces of Parkinson’s Disease." Healthline. Web. 13 May 2016.
"Parkinson Disease." University of Maryland Medical Center. Web. 13 May 2016.