
What To Expect When You Have Parkinson’s Disease- Life Expectancy
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. It is caused when the sheath of the nerve cells in the brain gets damaged. The disease manifests itself by affecting movement. Some neurons are responsible for the production of dopamine. When these neurons die, dopamine levels drop. Since dopamine is vital for controlled movement, a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease can experience a range of limited movements. Parkinson’s disease usually occurs in people who are in their 50s and above. However, there have been rare cases of it striking younger people as well. Parkinson’s disease life expectancy is similar to those who don’t have the condition. Late-stage Parkinson’s however, complicates the standard and quality of life greatly. This degenerative disease has five stages. Stage One This is the first dangerous stage of Parkinson’s disease. Life expectancy is normal, and it can be managed with medication. The first stage showcases symptoms of a minimal nature, which go unnoticed most of the time. The most visible symptoms are mild tremors, a change in posture and a change in the way patients walk. There maybe some minor difficulty with speech, but this is on the rarest of occasions. The tremors in early-stage Parkinson’s is usually limited to one side of the body. Stage Two This stage is when the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is more noticeable. The standard of life during stage two deteriorates quite a bit. The manifestation of these symptoms are more rapid; they show much faster than stage one. Tremors begin to become visible on both sides of the body. The change in posture is much more noticeable, and a patient has their walking form degrade enormously. The body begins to experience mild stiffness. The patient may begin trembling, and on rare occasions, a change in facial expressions may start becoming noticeable.