Significance of Family Activities For Parkinson's

One of a disease that comes into life uncalled for is Parkinson's disease (PD). A person who might have been the star in a party, or someone who was known for their touches of humour sense - Parkinson's changes it all. It comes along with tremors and stiff expressions. But, it is not a life-threatening disease. It can be managed and improved through exercises and therapies. A social support circle enforces individuals with PD to be strong and optimistic towards life.  

Role of Family in Parkinson's 

Parkinson's is a type of a disease which would affect the individuals both mentally and physically. Even though the progression of the condition takes place slowly, there would be setbacks to certain activities. But, it is not something for which one should lose hope. Parkinson's opens doors to other possibilities where one can rediscover oneself. 

When a person comes to know that they have Parkinson's, the only immediate support they turn to is FAMILY. 

The close-knit group of loved ones who understand the feelings of others and render support during happy and hard times is Family. The unmeasurable support which this group provides, promises a safe and secure emotional quotient for the individuals with PD. 

Spending time with the dear ones can make an individual feel happy and content. So, planning family activities is important. These are some of the activities one can do as a family: 

Go on a Picnic - Slowing down would be very much needed for a person with Parkinson's. Take a moment to smell the flowers around. The family would have to learn to take a slow pace in certain activities. They may need to get used to stiff expressions. Even though people with Parkinson's would want to express many things, it may not be possible for them. A picnic is a great opportunity to understand one another better. And be sure to carry enough of food for the hungry hearts! 

Teamwork in Daily Chores - PD individuals will face difficulty in doing daily tasks such as cleaning, cooking, washing and shopping. Family members can step in and assist in their everyday activities. Going on errands, taking them for medical check-ups, preparing meals and checking whether the medicines are taken on time. But, there should be at least certain things where they are given the freedom to do things by themselves.  

Parkinson's support programs would have an array of activities and exercises for Parkinson's disease. It is a great way to keep the tremors at bay and reduce the progression of Parkinson's. 

Game fun With Family - Playing games brings in enjoyment for those with Parkinson's. Sometimes, games could be challenging. It may require to socialize and make use of the memory. Stick to games which are easy to follow and have simple rules. Jigsaw puzzle, painting and playing musical instruments are some of the fun activities in which families can express their support. 

Once the family starts doing various activities with their loved ones who have Parkinson's - they can find their favourite pastime. It is the most practical way to understand the problems and challenges faced by them while doing these activities with the family. It is important to make individuals with PD feel as normal as possible to reduce anxiety caused by the condition. Indulging in quality time with family would close the doors of anxiety and depression. 

Link Between Osteoporosis and Parkinson

Osteoporosis is a bone disease caused by the reduction of bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in fractures.  Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with loss of motor control. Patients with Parkinson's disease are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis due to their limited activity, lower muscle strength an bone mass.

A research paper submitted at the American Academy of Neurology in 2006 clearly highlights the danger of osteoporosis in PD patients. Of the 166 Parkinson's patients studied, nearly 51 % of the females and 29% of the men had osteoporosis. A number of them also had osteopenia or lowered bone mass- 45% of the women and 48% of the men. This firmly establishes the link between osteoporosis and Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease symptoms that may lead to osteoporosis

• Tremors

Incessant shaking or tremors are the first and early sign of Parkinson's. This uncontrollable shaking is due to loss of nerve control and it severely affects Parkinson's patients. It also hampers the free movement and routine activities of the PD patients, resulting in the quick onset of osteoporosis.

• Reduced movement

Patient's with Parkinson's find it difficult to move freely as they have poor posture, balance and  reduced bone and muscle strength. All this prevents them from leading an active life with ample movement. This reduced movement and lack of mobile activity lead to osteoporosis.

• Slow gait

Parkinson's patients exhibit slow gait due to loss of motor function. They lack control of their movements and body balance and hence move in a stumbling manner. This slow gait may lead due to loss of bone mass and osteoporosis.

• Bradykinesia

Bradykinesia or slow movement is another Parkinson's disease symptom that may lead to osteoporosis. Poor nerve and muscular strength and coordination is the reason for the slowed movement in PD patients. This lethargic movement may cause osteoporosis if not attended to immediately.

• Akinesia

The rigidity of muscles or akinesia is another PD symptom that increases the risk of osteoporosis. Caused due to muscular stiffness due to impaired movement, akinesia may reduce muscle and bone strength and cause osteoporosis.

• Vitamin D deficiency

Due to decreased activity and exposure to sunlight, Vitamin D deficiency occurs in PD patients. this reduces bone mass and density leading to osteoporosis.

All the above Parkinson's disease symptoms may accelerate the risk and incidence of osteoporosis in PD patients but can be effectively controlled and cured with regular exercise and  the right medication.

Osteoporosis medications for PD patients

Parkinson's patients are treated with Levodopa as a form of medication. This Levodopa treatment is found to increase the level of homocysteine in the blood and this may further on lead to osteoporosis in PD patients. This condition called "hyperhomocysteinemia" is peculiar to PD patients and causes osteopenia or lowered bone mass which is the first among osteoporosis disease stages.

The only way to arrest this medical problem in PD patients taking Levodopa is to give them additional B12 and Folic acid supplementation to reduce elevated homocysteine levels, thereby preventing osteoporosis.

PD patients also consume SSRI antidepressants to prevent depression. These antipsychotic drugs can increase the risk of hip fractures. Instead, tricyclic anti depressants can be used for such depressed D patients as they do not increase the risk of osteoporotic fractures.

In addition, PD patients have to be treated for reduced bone mass density, calcium and Vitamin D deficiency. A dietary intake of 1200-1500 mg of calcium is a must for PD patients along with enough Vitamin D for its bone absorption.

Biphosphonates like alendronate or risedronate are best recommended to treat osteoporosis in PD patients. Use of these osteoporosis medications can help them combat osteoporosis effectively and completely.

Parkinson's disease is not a singular disease but it is accompanied by a host of other associated medical ailments like osteoporosis. Osteoporosis in PD patients must be addressed immediately with awareness, exercise and medication.

The Similarities Between Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases

September 21st is celebrated as World Alzheimer's Day, across the world. There is a significant need for the increased awareness on this neurodegenerative disorder. There are many scientific researches have found link between Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, however concrete proofs need to be established on this. According to the medical journal Acta Neuropathologica medical a few found biological mechanisms that connect Parkinson's disease to Alzheimer's.

What is Parkinson's Disease (PD)?

Parkinson's disease was first discovered by Dr. James Parkinson. Parkinson's disease is diagnosed based on the three symptoms - slowed body movement, rigid muscles and shakes and tremors. These are the initial recognizable symptoms. A few patients also show other symptoms that include slurred speech, difficulty in getting up from a chair, losing control over body parts and expressionless face.

What is Alzheimer's Disease (AD)?

Alzheimer's can be defined as a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and other cognitive abilities of the brain. The prolonged systems lead to reduced quality of life. The person may find it difficult to even remember the names of their family members. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, a state of memory loss.

Similarities Between Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases

As both diseases are considered as the neurodegenerative disorders, they share a few similarities. The cognitive impairment similarities between PD and AD are almost similar. Based on the location of the disease occurrence in the brain, PD is referred as subcortical and AD as cortical. This is the reason why the symptoms of PD are more related to movement and AD symptoms more on the cognitive side.

• Depression

Both the diseases show the symptoms of depression but the influence of it could be seen on the higher side in AD than in PD. The depression in a PD case is more responsive to the antidepressant treatment compared to the AD.

• Psychotic Symptoms

Psychotic symptoms can be seen in both AD and PD. Delusions, hallucination and a state of paranoid are among the common psychotic symptoms in the advanced conditions. The development of these symptoms occurs at a higher rate in AD context, compared to PD. However, the medications used to treat the motor conditions in PD, depending on the dose, can lead to paranoid ideas.

• Anxiety

Anxiety is another common symptom in these two disorders. And, it is common to use antidepressant and antianxiety medications to treat the conditions but it is important to keep the side-effects of medications. The excessive use of medications for anxiety will lead to major health issues that affect the overall health quality. Behavioral treatment for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's is a better treatment approach than the medications.

• Deterred Quality of Sleep

It is another common symptom that could be observed in both these neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, in Parkinson's disease, the issue termed as REM (rapid eye movement) causes more disturbance during the sleep. In AD too, the depression associated with anxiety will become the major obstacles for a quality sleep.

• Changed Personality

Seniors experience various cognitive and physical impairments in these conditions and their overall personality will get affected. Undergoing the treatment and all the medications will have a severe effect on their typical characteristics. The movement disorders in PD will reduce their outgoing and social life; AD will have the same impact by reducing the cognitive ability of a person.

It is important to know that medications that are used in one condition may show a negative impact on another condition. For instance, most of the medications prescribed to treat AD will show a negative impact on PD, due to its typical movement disorders. Identifying the cognitive and behavioral similarities and distinguishing the conditions in a better way. This helps in the diagnosis process as well as in better treatment approach.

6 Techniques to Sleep Better After a Stroke

Sleep is an integral part of human life and is essential for a healthy brain. Brain, the most significant organ that uses almost 20% of the total oxygen consumption, needs a sufficient amount of rest and medical support in order to recover especially after a major health condition like a stroke.

Disrupted sleep is one of the common post-stroke effects faced by many stroke survivors. Due to lack of sleep, the brain feels tired after a stroke. Doctors recommend at least 9 to 10 hours of sleep for stroke patients as sleep is the key to a speedy recovery. Making the recovery difficult, sleep disruptions affect many individuals after a stroke.

Lack of sleep not only causes depression and stress but also increases the intensity of the other symptoms such as memory loss, fatigue and nausea. Sleep helps the brain to clean after itself while flushing out the toxins. Sleeplessness may build-up the toxic substances in the brain, further damaging it on top of the stroke.

If you are a stroke survivor who is experiencing excessive sleep, feel blessed and continue to sleep for a sufficient amount of time. If you are a person facing difficulty in getting adequate sleep, seek doctor help. In addition, the following tips and simple lifestyle changes could help you in getting better sleep.

• Relax the Stressed Mind - A stressful mind could never be relaxed and it is next to impossible to make it sleep. Practice various stress relieving activities such as simple physical activities like jogging and walking.
• Meditation and Yoga - Make meditation and yoga as part of your regular life. Especially, yoga shows an enormous effect on sleep disorders as it works as the best medicine to relax the body and mind. Practice meditation and pranayama as they are proven to be best solutions for sleeplessness.
• Air Flow Improvement Using Medications - The breathing patterns may get affected due to the side-effects of a stroke. Check for the blocks and signs of sleep apnea and other breathing disorders to help the individual to have a better sleep. Sleep gets disrupted if the person is facing any breathing issues.
• Develop and Stick to a Daily Sleeping Routine - It is the common sleep tip that could work wonders. Train your body and brain by going to bed at a particular time every day. After a certain point of time, the brain starts feeling sleepy as soon as the clocks tick that time.
• Avoid Sleeping During Day - If you are finding it difficult to sleep at night, never take the naps during the daytime, irrespective of their small tenure. If you just include moderate physical activity (based on the body support), your body drives you to the bed as the time arrives.
• Use the Bright Light Therapy - Stroke may leave your biological cycles disrupted and it may require some effort to catch the rhythm again. Use the Bright Light Therapy technique that helps people to readjust their inner clocks. This is a simple practice that is performed in the bright light of the morning for 30 minutes. This activity also helps in getting vitamin D which helps in better sleep. 

In addition, ensure your bedroom is dimly lit, the pillow and mattress are comfortable. Few people respond better to the aroma and music therapy. Try them to see if they are working for you. Keep the room temperature at the suitable levels. 

Sleep plays a significant role in the recovery of the people who have survived a stroke. Use these techniques along with medical help for a quality sleep during the recovery stages of a stroke.

The Relationship Between Iron and Parkinson

"Eat a lot of green vegetables, they are full of iron" - this is what our mothers used to lecture us every day.  Iron is good for health but excess iron can be harmful as in the case of  Parkinson's disease. Surprising but true, brain iron levels have been found to be high in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the midbrain. Hallgren and Sourander state that there is no iron in the brain at birth but the brain iron levels accumulate rapidly during adolescence and early adulthood. In patients with Parkinson's disease, abnormal iron concentration has been found in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra.  This has led to a discussion on the relationship between iron and Parkinson's disease.

How can excess brain iron levels affect patients with Parkinson's disease?

Excess iron is found in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease. This excess iron in the neurons has been found to impair cellular recycling causing toxic oxidative stress. This oxidative stress plays a major role in the death of neurons in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Research from the Anderson Lab at the Buck Institute of Research on Ageing in California has revealed that iron reduces the ability of neurons to perform cellular recycling. The excess iron damages the lysosomes within the cells, thereby affecting their ability to recycle damaged proteins.

 It is the function of the lysosomes to store iron in the cell in such a way that it does not participate in oxidative reactions. Since the lysosomes are damaged,  the excess iron enters the neurons causing their death.  With age, the ability of the lysosomes to recycle proteins diminishes, thereby creating more protein garbage. One such abnormal protein aggregate present in patients with Parkinson's disease is the Lewy bodies which are responsible for this ailment.

All this is due to the excess iron present in the basal ganglia of patients with Parkinson's disease.

University of Washington's research scientists revealed that people who consumed higher quantities of iron are more likely to be prone to Parkinson's disease and their risk is doubled.

The only way to combat this ailment is to adopt the right Parkinson disease diet.

Parkinson Disease Diet

Consume

• Fibre-rich food like whole grains, broccoli, peas, beans
• Tree nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios
• Berries like blueberries, cranberries, goji berries and elderberries
• Bland food like saltine crackers or plain bread
• Lots of water- 8 cups daily
• Levodopa which is the best medication for Parkinson's disease on an empty stomach half an hour before meals as per doctor's advice

Reduce

• Sugar
• Salt
• Dairy products
• Ice-cold drinks
• Orange, grapefruit or acidic beverages

Dos and don'ts

• Sip all liquids slowly. Drink a little water or juice after each bite of food to help you swallow.
• Dunk bread or crackers in milk to swallow them easily.
• Mix all foods with gravies or sauces to swallow easily
• Consume liquids between meals.
• Eat small portions of meals  frequently
• Avoid oily, fried, sugary or greasy foods.
• Avoid coffee, tea, chocolate or soda
• Avoid mouthwashes
• Don't mix hot and cold foods. Have food at room temperature

Foods that patients with Parkinson's disease can have

• Ice cream and custard
• Sandwiches and nachos with cheese
• Greek yoghurt
• Eggs
• Granola bars
• Crackers with peanut butter
• Cereals 

Parkinson's support programs must discuss the use of Parkinson's disease diet in order to create awareness about the disease, its relationship with iron and the right foods to be consumed.

Gait Training to Improve Balance in Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), an age-related neurodegenerative movement disorder, is associated with the following cardinal manifestations- 

• Bradykinesia(slowness of movement)
• Tremors
• Gait Disturbances
• Rigidity in mobility

Difficulties with walking and balance are common in patients with Parkinson’s disease. These problems result in reduced mobility, more trips and falls, social isolation issues, reduced quality of life and increased mortality rates. The balancing issues and postural instabilities are also likely to cause more physical injuries and fractures dominantly in PD patients. Therefore effective management of walking and balance impairments is crucial.

Characteristic Gait Patterns and Kinematics in PD 

With disease progression, the symptoms of gait impairments worsen. Typical gait impairments include

• Decrease in co-ordination

• Hypokinesia wherein therein there is reduction of both step-length and speed.

• Festination which is characterized by decreased step length accompanied by increased cadence

• Freezing of Gait(FOG) which is the inability to produce effective steps or complete pause in stepping due to gait initiation

• Difficulty in performing dual tasks during gait

Gait kinematic changes include modifications in the excursion of hip and ankle joints. This leads to flat foot or toe-heel sequence in walking as PD progresses. So PD patients are likely to have primitive gait patterns rather than adult gait patterns. Specifically flat-footed gait reduces the ability to step over hurdles or even walk properly in carpeted areas which is dangerous for patients. There are also alterations in hip flexion which in turn may change the way the ankle is exerted while walking. These disorders can be largely managed by appropriate exercise regimes.

Gait Training Therapy

Gait training includes various techniques for improving balance and achieving co-ordination:

• Flexibility Exercises: Substantial numbers of PD patients have shown improvement in walking after doing flexibility exercises and following relaxation techniques. This training focuses on Parkinson’s Exercise Therapy through stretching, improving balance and range of movement activities done at least thrice a week for the duration of six months. Significant improvement in walking patterns can be achieved by the right combination of warming up exercise, technique training, endurance training and cooling down activities for de-stressing.

• Activities for enhancing Strength: Progressive resistance training can be beneficial particularly to patients with mild to moderate PD. It involves exercises for strengthening muscles and aerobic training using bicycle or treadmill for increasing physical fitness. This helps in improving aerobic capacities, muscular strength, walking, posture and balancing limitations.

• Balance Training: This can be done by using balance board systems and video demonstrations. It helps in improving selective measures of balance and gait in PD adults. Additionally, weight-bearing exercises can improve balancing difficulties and fall prevention.

• Cueing Techniques: By deploying external auditory or visual cues, the attention of patients can be used for concentrating on specific gait aspects. Cueing and attention strategies help in bypassing the defective basal ganglia in the brain which no longer control movement and it now becomes a cognitive action.

• Aquatic Program: Gait disorders in PD patients can be largely overcome by aquatic physical exercise regimes. Significant improvements in stride length and walking speed are noticed after this training program.

• Treadmill Exercises: Patients with mild to moderate PD who are physically and cognitively capable of using the treadmill with precautionary measures for balancing may utilize this program under supervision. It helps in achieving faster gait speed and improves stride length and walking distance. Treadmill also helps in enhancing dual-task performance capabilities of such individuals with PD.

• Robotics: Latest research shows that robot-assisted sensorimotor gait training reduces FOG episodes and improves gait velocity, co-ordination, stride length and rhythmicity.

Conclusion

Several Gait Training techniques may be implemented by Parkinson’s Support Program for successfully rehabilitating PD patients and improving balance.

Egg and Its Relation with Stroke

Egg, probably the most affordable nutritiously rich food in the world, does a bit more than just providing the body with the essential proteins and vitamins. The regular consumption of egg could be the reducing factor of so many health conditions. This is the reason why the saying ‘An egg a day keeps the doctor away’ is so popular.

Many medical researches have been conducted on the health benefits of the egg. While it remained to be the major source of protein, it has also the capability to reduce the risk of getting a stroke by 12 percent on a daily consumption. Few researchers have claimed that egg reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases but further studies need to be conducted to reveal the truth.

As per the studies conducted by two medical universities in America and China respectively, if you take an egg in your breakfast you will reduce the chances of getting a stroke and cardiovascular diseases, significantly. Read more to learn if this is true.

According to the study published in the American College of Nutrition Journal, consuming an egg every day has no significant impact on reducing the cardiovascular diseases but it does help you to reduce your risk of a stroke. The results have proven that having 2 eggs per week can help the body in tackling the fatal, ischaemic and hemorrhagic types of strokes.

On the hind-side, the scientists also claimed that the people who have consumed the eggs could have consumed the other dietary supplements that favor the body in reducing the risk of the stroke.

What Makes Egg a Complete Nutrition -

It’s no secret that eggs are good for health. One medium-sized egg contains 76 calories, 7.5g protein, 5.1g fat and 1.4g sat fat. In addition, eggs are rich sources of Vitamin A, B2, B5, B6, B12, E, D, E and K, folate and selenium, zinc, Calcium and healthy fats.

They also contain cholesterol but it is high-density lipoprotein that is known as the good cholesterol. People who have the high levels of this cholesterol are less likely to get the coronary artery and cardiovascular diseases. Even though eggs are high in cholesterol but eating this cholesterol does not bump up the blood pressure.

Most importantly, the choline which is a nutrient that group up with the Vitamin B, is essential in building the cell membrane. Also, this property is essential in producing the signaling molecules in the brain, a process that will get reduced due to the age factor.

Eggs are often referred as the complete source of protein as they contain all the 9 amino acids at a sufficient level. As the egg is a source of many healthy nutrients a significant amount of research needs to be conducted to establish the exact relationship between eggs and stroke. The Egg is dietary mainstay that supply all the essential nutrients to the body. With science on its side, egg prevents the chances of getting a stroke but also numerous health disorders and ensure the body functions at its optimum.