1.What is Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a relatively common degenerative disease of the nervous system, with tremor, rigidity and slowing of the limbs as its characteristic clinical manifestations. Parkinson’s disease has now become the third leading health killer of the elderly after stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. Two million of the world’s 4 million people with Parkinson’s disease are in China, and one in every 100 older adults is afflicted by Parkinson’s disease. 2, Parkinson’s disease is hand shaking? Many people with Parkinson’s disease are the first to experience hand tremors, but Parkinson’s disease is more than just hand tremors. Resting tremor, bradykinesia, bradykinesia and postural gait disorder are the main clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease, while patients can be accompanied by non-motor symptoms such as depression, constipation and sleep disorders. In layman’s terms, the typical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease are shaking, slowness, and rigidity. There may also be fatigue, poor sleep, constipation, poor mood, poor memory, slow brain response, etc. 3, hand shaking is Parkinson’s disease? Hand trembling is not necessarily Parkinson’s disease. Emotional excitement, other neurological diseases (such as stroke, idiopathic tremor, etc.), thyroid disease, liver disease, hereditary diseases, etc. may show signs of limb tremors. If hand tremor occurs, you need to ask a professional doctor to identify it. 4.How do I know that I have Parkinson’s disease? To confirm the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, you need to go to a specialized department (usually neurology or neurology) in a hospital. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease mainly relies on medical history, clinical symptoms and signs. The diagnosis is further supported by effective treatment with levodopa preparations. Routine blood and cerebrospinal fluid examinations are mostly abnormal, and CT and MRI examinations have no characteristic changes. 5. Is Parkinson’s disease normal aging? The age of onset of Parkinson’s disease is mostly around 60 years old, and the incidence increases gradually with age. The cause of Parkinson’s disease is caused by insufficient secretion of dopamine in the brain. As we age, the nervous system secretes less and less dopamine, but this is only part of the cause. Parkinson’s disease is a manifestation of a nervous system in a pathological state and requires diagnosis and treatment at a hospital. 6.Does Parkinson’s disease run in families? The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is still unknown. At least six causative genes have been found to be associated with familial Parkinson’s disease. However, only 5-10% of Parkinson’s disease has a family history, and most of the cases are disseminated, so genetic factors are only one of the factors in the development of the disease. 7. Is there nothing I can do if I have Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson’s disease can be treated. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease requires comprehensive treatment, of which medication is the main treatment for Parkinson’s disease, and levodopa preparations are currently the most effective drugs (such as Medopa). Although the current treatment cannot stop the progress of the disease, it can improve the symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients. 8. Can surgery also treat Parkinson’s disease? Surgery is an effective supplement to drug therapy. Some patients do not achieve satisfactory results with drug therapy due to disease progression or drug side effects. At this time, the neurosurgeon can be consulted to see if surgical treatment is possible. Currently, there are two main surgical methods: nucleus pulposus destruction and deep brain electrical stimulation. What is the prognosis of Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson’s disease is a chronic progressive disease, and the rate of progression varies from patient to patient. There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but early stage patients can control their symptoms well with medication. In the middle stages of the disease, although medications are still useful, the quality of life often declines due to motor complications, and surgery may be considered to control symptoms. The life expectancy of Parkinson’s disease patients does not differ from that of normal people. 10.What do patients need to pay attention to on a daily basis? Patients with Parkinson’s disease often suffer from constipation, so they should drink more water and eat more fiber-rich foods. Patients taking levodopa preparations should take the medication separately from meals, and should take the medication one hour before or one and a half hours after a meal. Appropriate exercise is helpful for patients’ functional recovery, and recent studies have shown that tai chi is helpful for patients’ balance function. Since the disease itself can be accompanied by sleep disorders and depression, it is also especially important to give patients psychological care.