Our brain controls body functions and movements by sending our body parts a message. The messenger is the nerves, and they carry chemicals called neurotransmitters. One such neurotransmitter which is responsible for controlling speed and
Tumeur de la prostate : pronostic en fonction du stade, du grade et du risque
planning of movements is called dopamine, which is produced in our brain stem. When there is a 70-80% reduction in production of dopamine, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease begin.
Some facts
Though Parkinson’s is not hereditary per se, but if someone in your family had it, you have a 10-15% higher chance of contracting it.
Though it can affect you at any age, generally people above the age of 60 are affected.
It is NOT life-threatening, however there is no cure for it yet.
Affects men more than women
In India, about 60 Lakh people are affected by this currently, with the Parsi community highest at risk
Exposure to Pesticides increases the chance of contracting Parkinson’s Disease
How do we detect it at home?
There are some early signs we should be aware of, if diagnosed at early stage, with proper medication, many symptoms of Parkinson’s can be delayed for quite a few years:
Tremor in hands, fingers, chin etc while resting
Handwriting becomes smaller
Loss of Smell
Trouble Sleeping Properly
Trouble Walking – Feet get stuck to the floor, or a stiffness in shoulders or hips
Constipation
Change in voice – becomes soft or low
Face looks serious or depressed at all time, also called masked face
Dizziness or Fainting
Stooping or Hunching Over
How to Avoid Parkinson’s Disease
There is no perfect formula, but the intake of following has been known to reduce Parkinson’s
1. Myth: Older adults feel depressed because of psychological stress –
Fact: Depression can happen due to several factors like health problems, loneliness, lack of purpose, financial problems causing fear, as side effect of medications, loss of dear ones etc. The elderly have to face a lot of physical changes, psychological changes and societal changes which disrupts their normal life and triggers depression.
2. Myth: Older adults experience different types of depression symptoms
Fact: Apart from some rare cases, most of the time, the experiences of older adults are similar to young adults who are suffering from depression or mental anxiety. The bodily symptoms associated with depression, such as changes in appetite, sleep, and energy level and body aches and pains may be more visible in elderly people.
3. Myth: Depression in the elderly is a common age-related issue
Fact: Depression is not an age-related issue. The rate of depression in young adults is more than in the elderly although it can be more severe amongst the elderly.
4. Myth: It is hard to treat depression in the elderly
Fact: In case of senior citizens, it is quite useful when someone listens to their problems. They like to share their experiences with others and much more willing to stay in touch with things like technology than we give them credit for. They respond very positively to the counselling process and learning new activities that can help in coping depression.
5. Myth: Elders with depression are suffering from Dementia
Fact:Memory loss and loss of cognitive function are not always attributed to dementia, and sometimes there is even an organic cause for absent-mindedness or lack of memory. Depression is one of the signs of Dementia but cannot be assumed without a doctor’s consultation.
In today’s times of high technology usage, it is important that our seniors are aware of existing tricks and scams to avoid financial losses and maintain safety. Caring for your financial safety along with physical well being, we are releasing a short series on online frauds.
1) Phone call scams
a) Bank calls: The criminal would call as a bank employee and that ‘your debit/card has got blocked or similar problems’ and would ask details like – Card number, expiry date, CVV, Account number, OTP or PIN and other information for re-activating the card.
b) Government calls: People claim to call from government offices like pension office, income tax department, judiciary office, transport department, police station etc. They would reimburse a hefty fine/submit fees to extend services like pension and would send warning emails from illegitimate mail ids sources.
Such calls often create a panic situation and compel the elderly to disclose their private information.
Preventive measures:
1. Never disclose bank details – Card number, Expiry Date, CVV, OTP / PIN over a call to any person.
2. Tell the caller that you will go to the bank and check the details and disconnect the call within seconds.
3. Authorized bank employees or government officials usually call to sell insurance or loans. They will never ask for your bank details over the call.
2) Phishing Scams:
Scammers send unknown emails, messages, notifications, links to trick you into giving them your personal information. The emails and messages look like they have come from sources you trust like – banks, credit card companies, social networking sites, online payment websites or apps or online stores.
The phishing emails or messages often look genuine to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. They may ask for a password, your debit card or credit card / net banking details, sell goods at huge discounts, or ask to renew the subscription, renew bank account lapses, renew insurance, buy new insurance policy etc.
Once you give out the information, they can access your email, bank accounts and other accounts.
Preventive measures:
1. Protect your computers and mobiles with security software. Put them on automatic update mode.
2. Protect your accounts with multi-factor authentication which means it requires two or more details for access. You can add passcode via text message or fingerprint scans etc.
3. Protect your data by backing them up in a hard drive or cloud storage.
4. Always download apps from trustworthy sources like Google, Playstore or Apple Appstore.
5. Immediately complain at Google or Playstore or the parent website from which the link of malicious website is provided.
6. Always check the URL on the top of the browser, if it matches exactly with the URL of a known website. Usually, website beginning with “https” are secure for transaction or browsing.
3) QR Code & KYC Scam
a) QR Code Scam:
Fraudsters have found an innovative method to trick people by faking Quick Response (QR) codes to steal money. They appear as buyers and share a QR code over WhatsApp asking for the code to be scanned to receive money. After scanning the code and entering the PIN, the money gets transferred into the fraudster’s account.
b) KYC Scam
The fraudster sends messages for KYC verification and warns that the Paytm account will get blocked if verification is not done. When calling for support, you are redirected to an online KYC verification system.
Here, you will be asked to download apps like Team Viewer and Quick Support which actually grant control of your mobile to the fraudster. Then you will be asked to put your login details of Paytm account and make a transaction to complete verification.
Now the fraudster gains full access to your bank information.
Preventive measures:
1. Always keep in mind that you never have to scan QR codes to receive money. It is only used to make payments.
2. Avoid scanning QR codes in public shops or when sent on your mobile via emails or messages.
In case you need to make payment in a shop, type the number and make the payment. Also, verify the name you are making payment to with the business owner at the verification step.
3. Do not download unknown apps for any kind of verification process. Always call your bank and clarify the matter first.
4. Report the matter to cybersecurity with details.
4) Social Media Scams
a) Impersonation fraud
Fraudsters create accounts similar to a person in your friend list on social media and send friend requests and messages. On receiving a response, they ask money for help citing reasons which are hard to disbelieve.
They also track your complaints against any bank/company made on social media and contact you impersonating as authorized employees to extract your confidential information and trick you to steal money.
b) Honey Traps
Fraudsters on social media apps target middle-aged females or vulnerable people and establish trust by talking to them for 3-4 months. they could be belonging to the same groups you are associated with. After gaining trust, they exchange private numbers, whose SIMs are registered under fake names. Then they weave fake stories and ask for monetary help.
In many cases, especially in matrimonial sites, the fraudsters are foreign nationals. they pretend to be suitable grooms or possible business ventures and develop trust with regular chatting and sympathetic behaviour. Then they claim to have send gifts for and ask them to pay customs charges and clearance fees charges to collect the gifts. In this manner, they try to steal money and dupe the victim.
Preventive measures:
1. Always keep your account private on social media.
2. Never share any personal information like mobile number, bank details on social media while addressing a complaint on organisation’s public pages.
3. Do not click on unknown links and be very careful that you are being directed to official pages only.
4. Do not interact with unknown people over social media and even if you do, never reveal details about your personal life or confidential information.
మన మెదడు మన శరీర భాగాలకు నరాల ద్వారా సందేశం పంపి శరీర విధులు మరియు కదలికలను నియంత్రిస్తుంది. మన నరాలు “న్యూరోట్రాన్స్మిటర్స్” అనే రసాయనాలను కలిగి ఉంటాయి. కదలికల వేగాన్ని నియంత్రించడానికి మరియు ప్రణాళిక చేయడానికి బాధ్యత వహించే అటువంటి న్యూరోట్రాన్స్మిటర్ను “డోపామైన్” అంటారు. ఇది మన మెదడు కాండంలో ఉత్పత్తి అవుతుంది. డోపామైన్ ఉత్పత్తిలో 70-80% తగ్గింపు ఉన్నప్పుడు, పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధి లక్షణాలు ప్రారంభమవుతాయి.
కొన్ని వాస్తవాలు:
పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధి వంశపారంపర్యంగా సంక్రమించనప్పటికి, మీ కుటుంబంలో ఎవరైనా దానిని కలిగి ఉంటే, మీకు వ్యాధి సంక్రమించుటకి 10-15% ఎక్కువ అవకాశం ఉంది.
ఇది ఏ వయసులోనైనా మిమ్మల్ని ప్రభావితం చేసినప్పటికీ, సాధారణంగా 60 ఏళ్లు పైబడిన వారు ప్రభావితమవుతారు.
ఇది ప్రాణాంతకం కాదు, అయినప్పటికీ దీనికి ఇంకా చికిత్స లేదు.
మహిళల కంటే పురుషులను ఎక్కువగా ప్రభావితం చేస్తుంది
భారతదేశంలో ప్రస్తుతం సుమారు 60 లక్షల మంది ఈ వ్యాధి బారిన పడ్డారు, పార్సీ సమాజంలో ప్రమాదం అత్యధికం గా ఉంది
పురుగుమందుల బారిన పడటం పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధి బారిన పడే అవకాశాన్ని పెంచుతుంది
ఇంట్లో దాన్ని ఎలా గుర్తించగలం?
మనం తెలుసుకోవలసిన పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధి ప్రారంభ సంకేతాలు కొన్ని ఉన్నాయి, ప్రారంభ దశలోనే వ్యాధి నిర్ధారణ అయినట్లయితే,సరైన దశలో మందులతో, పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధి యొక్క అనేక లక్షణాలని కొన్ని సంవత్సరాలు ఆలస్యం చేయవచ్చు:
విశ్రాంతి తీసుకునేటప్పుడు చేతులు, వేళ్లు, గడ్డం మొదలైన వాటిలో వణుకు ఉండటం
చేతివ్రాత చిన్నది అవ్వటం
వాసన చూడలేకపోవడం
సరిగ్గా నిద్రపోవడంలో ఇబ్బంది
నడకలో ఇబ్బంది – అడుగులు నేలకి చిక్కుకుంటాయి, లేదా భుజాలు లేదా తుంటిలో దృఢత్వం
మలబద్ధకం
స్వరములో మార్పు – మృదువుగా లేదా తక్కువగా మారటం
ముఖం ఎప్పుడు తీవ్రంగా లేదా నిరుత్సాహంగా కనిపించటం, దీనిని “ముసుగుముఖం” అని కూడా పిలుస్తారు
మైకము లేదా మూర్ఛ
కిందికి లేదా ముందుకి వంగటం
పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధిని ఎలా నివారించాలి?
ఖచ్చితమైన సూత్రం లేదు, కానీ పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధి తగ్గించడానికి ఈ క్రిందివి ఉపయోగపడతాయి :
కాఫీ తాగడం
యాంటీ ఇన్ఫ్లమేటరీ (శోథ నిరోధక) మందులు – ఉదాహరణలు: బ్రూఫెన్, కాంబిఫ్లామ్, ఉనాఫెన్
అధిక విటమిన్-డి
వ్యాయామం – ఎల్డర్ఈజ్లో పలు రకాల ఉత్పత్తులు ఉన్నాయి (దయచేసి మరింత సమాచారం కోసం లింక్పై క్లిక్ చేయండి), ఇవి శారీరక పరిమితులతో కూడా వ్యాయామం చేయడానికి మీకు సహాయపడతాయి.
“యు-స్టెప్ వాకర్” అని పిలువబడే ప్రత్యేక వాకర్ను ఉపయోగించి క్రమం తప్పకుండా వ్యాయామం చేయడం, ఇది పార్కిన్సన్స్ వ్యాధితో సంబంధం ఉన్న చలనశీలత సమస్యలను పరిష్కరిస్తుంది.
నడక వేగం
నడుస్తున్నప్పుడు తిరగడంలో ఇబ్బంది
కాళ్ళు ఇరుక్కుపోవడం
నడుస్తున్నప్పుడు కిందపడిపోతాము అన్న భయం
కుటుంబం మరియు స్నేహితులతో మాట్లాడటం మరియు మద్దతు పొందడం
The secret for success? “Break the target/problem into smaller parts”. This has been used by cricketers such as MS Dhoni, eminent business and even great mathematicians. The fact of the matter is that when we run a complex program even on a computer, the CPU takes time to process it. It is the same with cricketers, with businessmen and great scientists. Rather than work on the entire programme and risk freezing, a step-by-step process is often easier on our minds (or processors) and on time too.
Let us take an example. Imagine that you click on the mouse or touchpad to scroll down to read this page (That is the input). Now ordinarily the CPU process this information and sends a message to the screen (the output device). The result is that you get to read the next line or paragraph. If there is a delay in the CPU processing this information for whatever reason – the screen freezes and you need to wait until the screen moves. The exact same thing happens to a Parkinson’s patient. For a Parkinson’s Disease patient, due to lack of signals from the brain, the patient does not get a cue on what to do – and hence he or she freezes.
Depending on which part of the stride they are in and the social context – it can result in embarrassment to a fall. Fortunately, there has been a lot of scientific work behind this (Paula J. McCandless, 2015) , and there are a few ways by which this can be greatly reduced
Do NOT fight the freeze – rather focus on other types of motion such as rotating your hands – this helps to make the freeze pass
Physiotherapy specializing in Parkinson’s Disease can help with exercises which help to manage freezing episodes.
While the response to the limbs may be frozen, a light cue helps. A laser light creates a line, which signals the individual to cross over. Thus, if the laser light moves along with the user, it acts as a guide. The user can overcome the freeze by following steps as guided by the light
An audio cue, which can be in the form of a metronome or music with beats is another avenue for managing the freeze. The signal to the ears direct the user to walk at a particular speed, thus acting as a guide.
Coming back to the example above, there is a less likely chance of the computer/mobile freezing or slowing if all other applications are closed and focused on this one task at hand. For Parkinson’s patients who experience FOG (Freezing of gait), it is the same. It is about channeling all sources of input (eyes, ears, etc.) to that one task at hand.
Fortunately, there is a walker in India that helps us do just that: The U Step II Walker. Gifting a loved one who is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease or gait freezing the freedom to walk is probably the most cherished experience that they would get.
References
Paula J. McCandless, B. J. (2015, November 12). Effect of Three Cueing Devices for People with Parkinson’s disease with Gait Initiation Difficulties. Retrieved from NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4863931/
A chapter “budhi kaki” (elderly aunt) which was taught to us in grade 5 left a deep impression on me which mentioned that old age was a resurgence of childhood. The more I ponder over it the more I realize the factuality. Baby boomers do need attention as babies but it is difficult for us to accept this fact as we have been taught and guided by them or maybe because we do not accept their incapability of doing something which they have been doing regularly.
While there are children who realize and care about their parents and want to do a lot for them, there are parents who would not want to listen to their children. Let’s not go into the why aspect but find a solution to both.
Have you ever thought of installing something in the bathroom, for example, after perceiving the problem your parents were facing with their baby steps (unsteady steps)? And especially as the statistics show that most accidents of seniors happen in bathrooms. We see the problem in our children and get them walkers to help them take those steps. So why don’t we similarly think of solutions for our parents.
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