Canada Drugs - Treating Parkinson’s Disease

Although Parkinson’s disease has been around since medieval times, the prevalence of the disease was thrust into the spotlight when American actor Michael J. Fox announced that he had been diagnosed with it. Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder characterized by muscle tremors or rigidity and the slowing down or complete loss of physical movement. It may be accompanied by language problems and high level cognitive dysfunction. This disease is named after an English apothecary name James Parkinson who produced an essay about it in 1817. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease. However, symptoms can be managed somewhat by pharmaceutical Canada drugs.

The cause of Parkinson’s disease is not known although many theories have been presented. It is a chronic, degenerative disease that is diagnosed by the onset of motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Patients may display tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, difficulty with gait, posture, speech and swallowing, mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and alterations in mood as well as the development of obsessive-compulsive behaviours. The progression of the disease is somewhat unpredictable. For some people, it can take 20 or more years for the disease to fully manifest and for others, progression is much faster. Treatment of the disease is by a combination of prescription Canada drugs to alleviate symptoms and assorted therapies to improve quality of life.

The most common medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease is Levodopa which the body uses to convert into dopamine that the nerve cells use as a neurotransmitter. An evolved form of Levodopa is Sinemet which is actually a combination of levodopa and carbidopa. This medication helps control the symptoms of the disease as well as lessen the side effects associated with Levodopa. Newer Canada drugs, such as Requip and Mirapex, are safer and more effective than these older drugs but can cause short term side effects like confusion and hallucinations.

Other treatments for Parkinson’s disease, besides prescription Canada drugs, include surgery and deep brain stimulation. This method of treatment is usually reserved for patients with advanced Parkinson’s for which medication can help any more. Neurorehabilitation, such as physical and speech therapy, can help retrain the brain and improve body movements and speech functions. Several foundations have been established to help find a cure for Parkinson’s and to improve the lives of those living with the disease including the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Davis Phinney Foundation.