Parkinson’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disease affecting approximately seven to ten million people worldwide and has no cure. The causes of Parkinson’s are still unclear, but experts have found several factors that increase your risk of developing this condition.- Causes of Parkinson’s Disease

What Is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nervous system and causes people to lose control of their muscles. Symptoms include tremors at rest, a loss of movement, speech problems, and difficulty walking.

While there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease yet, treatments such as medication or surgery can help manage symptoms of the condition.

What Happens in Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder affecting motor skills. It is caused by the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a brain region called the substantia nigra, which controls muscle movement and coordination.

The disease causes symptoms such as tremors, stiffness or slowness in movement, and balance problems. As Parkinson’s progresses, performing tasks requiring fine motor control and quick movements becomes more difficult.

Causes of Parkinson’s Disease

Several reasons can trigger the cause of Parkinson’s disease. Here are some of the causes you need to be aware of:

Genetics

The fact that Parkinson’s is a genetic disease means that if you have a family member with Parkinson’s, your risk of getting the disease increases.

Suppose you have one parent with Parkinson’s. In that case, your risk of developing the disease increases to 20 percent. If both parents have Parkinson’s, the risk jumps to 50 percent.

However, most people who develop Parkinson’s have no family history. This suggests that other factors may be involved in causing this condition besides genetics and the environment.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors that may contribute to the onset of Parkinson’s disease include exposure to pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, heavy metals, and other toxins. These chemicals can be found in water sources or food products from different geographical regions.

For example, certain types of fish, such as swordfish and sharks, contain high levels of mercury which is toxic to the nervous system. In addition, tobacco smoke contains multiple carcinogens that can lead to cancerous lesions on neurons in the brainstem region where dopamine cells reside.

Another environmental factor that can trigger the development of Parkinson’s disease is exposure to herbicides like paraquat. Paraquat is a weed killer used on farms. The Agriculture Health Study by FAME studied over 80,000 farmers and concluded that paraquat exposure increased farmers’ risk of Parkinson’s disease by 2.5 times. Another study published in Nature Chemical Biology resource supported the same, confirming the risk of Parkinson’s disease because of exposure to paraquat.

If you or your loved one was exposed to paraquat and went on to get the disease, you can file a Paraquat Parkinson’s Lawsuit to claim benefits. The benefits can help you recover damages on medical bills, hospitalization costs, lost wages, etc. Hence, head to a lawyer and seek help for filing a Paraquat Parkinson’s Lawsuit.

Presence of Lewy Bodies

Lewy bodies are abnormal clumps of protein that develop in nerve cells in the brain. They’re named after their discoverer, Dr. Frederic Lewy, who first identified them in 1912.

People with Parkinson’s disease have a narrowing of the brain’s pathways that carry dopamine between neurons, which causes symptoms such as tremors, rigid muscles, slow movements, and problems with balance and coordination. In people with Lewy body dementia or LBD, these deposits cause similar symptoms because they also damage neurons that produce dopamine in the brain.

Exposure to Certain Viruses

Exposure to viruses like Japanese encephalitis B (JEBV), St. Louis, and West Nile can lead to Parkinson’s disease. However, this type of Parkinson’s is classified as Viral Parkinson’s. We can even see this happening during pandemics throughout history.

Although the pandemics have not directly caused Parkinson’s disease, they have created Parkinsonian features. One of the most common viruses associated with causing such features is influenza. These influenza virus pandemics included the Spanish flu in 1918, the Asian flu in 1957 and 1958, the Hong Kong flu in 1968, and the Mexican or Swine flu in 2009. All these pandemics are associated with outbreaks of encephalitis with Parkinsonian features.

What Are the Risk Factors of Parkinson’s Disease?

You have a higher chance of developing Parkinson’s disease if you:

• Have a family history of the condition
• Are exposed to paraquat chemical or other environmental factors
• Smoke cigarettes or use tobacco products

Some risk factors are still not well understood, such as environmental and genetic factors that may contribute to causing Parkinson’s disease in some people. In contrast, other people who display similar risk factors do not develop this disease.

What Are the Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease?

You can help yourself by taking the following steps:

Medication

Several medications are available to treat Parkinson’s disease, including levodopa and dopamine agonists. These drugs can help reduce symptoms, but they don’t stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation surgery uses electrodes implanted directly into your brain connected to a battery pack under your skin to get more precise control of symptoms over time. The procedure is done under general anesthesia and involves placing two sets of electrodes: one on each side of your head. The electrodes send electrical impulses through your brain tissue to reduce tremors and stiffness caused by Parkinson’s disease. Due to its invasive nature, this treatment is only done when other treatments have failed or if you experience severe symptoms despite drug therapy alone.

Surgery for Tremor-Dominant Parkinson’s Disease

A minimally invasive technique known as microelectrode recording has been used for years to diagnose dystonia associated with essential tremor (ET).

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can see that many different factors are involved with Parkinson’s Disease. Genetics is a significant cause of the disease, but so are environmental factors like pesticides and even something as simple as drinking coffee. Also, the presence of Lewy Bodies in the brain is another risk factor for Parkinson’s Disease.

However, Parkinson’s is not caused by a single factor but by several known and unknown factors. It’s important to note that some people with Parkinson’s have never been exposed to any known causes listed above.