One Hatfield is Uniting for Parkinsons

To increase awareness of World Parkinson’s Day and the #UniteforParkinsons Campaign our Parkinson’s specialist, Dr Singhai, has put together some helpful information and symptoms to look out for.

Parkinson’s disease is a very common condition affecting 1 in 500 people in the UK and it usually affects people over 50 years of age.
It is due to a chemical imbalance in the brain which happens because certain nerve cells in the brain die at an accelerated rate in people with this condition.

The main symptoms are tremor, slowness of movements, muscle stiffness, problems with balance and walking. Parkinson’s disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose, particularly as these symptoms are often attributed to ageing. The importance of early correct diagnosis cannot be overemphasised as the condition is highly treatable with the main aim of treatment to correct the chemical imbalance and therefore improve quality of life.

Also after diagnosis, specialists in the condition can identify and address a whole range of other symptoms from the ones mentioned above which are collectively known as “Non- Motor Symptoms” with examples being sleep problems such as insomnia, memory and mood problems, constipation, passing urine frequently and restless legs. Even in patients with diagnosed Parkinson’s disease these Non- Motor Symptoms are often under recognised and therefore left untreated.

It is important to mention people with Parkinson’s should have good holistic care not only with drugs but with other things such as physiotherapy, exercise (including dancing and Tai Chi) and education.

For more information please get in touch with us, or if you have any concerns please book in for a consultation.

Article written by Dr Singhai who is a Parkinson’s specialist for whom clinic appointments can be made at One Hatfield – find out more here