Contents:
- Medical Video: Early Screening Tools for Parkinson’s Disease
- Olfactory tests can help detect Parkinson's symptoms early
- Other early signs of Parkinson's disease that you should know
- 1. Tremor
- 2. Handwriting style changes
- 3. Having trouble sleeping
- 4. The way to walk also changes
- 5. The volume decreases
Medical Video: Early Screening Tools for Parkinson’s Disease
Older people are prone to Parkinson's disease. This neurological disorder makes sufferers unable to move their limbs freely, stiffly, and ultimately lose motor skills. Parkinson's is a disease that cannot be cured completely and can come suddenly. However, now maybe Parkinson's can be detected early. Because, recently, experts found a unique way to detect symptoms of Parkinson's early. How to?
Olfactory tests can help detect Parkinson's symptoms early
This finding comes from a study conducted by researchers from Michigan State University, which states that olfactory tests can detect symptoms of Parkinson's early, even 10 years before finally this disease can be diagnosed.
This study involved 2,462 elderly people who on average were 75 years old. Then, they were asked to smell various ingredients in front of them such as cinnamon, onions, and soap. Next, they were told to guess the various scents. From this experiment, the study participants were divided into three groups, namely the elderly group with poor olfactory ability, good ability, and very good.
A few years later, experts found that most groups of elderly people who had poor olfactory abilities were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Therefore, the experts concluded that the group of elderly people who have poor olfactory ability were at a risk five times higher for this neurological disorder than the elderly who had good olfactory abilities.
Parkinson's disease actually occurs due to damage to the nervous system which makes it difficult for a person to control his movements, balance, and coordination. Therefore, the experts concluded that a decrease in the ability of one of the body's senses, in this case olfactory, could be an early sign of Parkinson's symptoms.
Other early signs of Parkinson's disease that you should know
In addition to decreasing olfactory ability, there are several symptoms that indicate that a person has Parkinson's, namely:
1. Tremor
The tremor makes the hands, feet and other parts of the body always vibrate. This occurs due to initial damage to the central nervous system. The symptoms of Parkinson's are very common, only one in five Parkinson patients do not experience these initial symptoms.
2. Handwriting style changes
Maybe you will realize that your writing style will change. Yes, this can happen because you are starting to have difficulty coordinating your body.
3. Having trouble sleeping
The initial sign of other Parkinson's disease is sudden delirium and movement in sleep, such as kicking or doing a hitting motion.
4. The way to walk also changes
Parkinson's causes your brain to have difficulty controlling movements, including movements when you walk. Therefore, if you feel the style of road starts to change, you should immediately consult a doctor.
5. The volume decreases
Does your family or closest person often ask you to strengthen your voice so that it can be heard? Though maybe at that time you have talked with a loud volume, but still not heard by them. This means that your volume is smaller and can be an early symptom of Parkinson's.
If one or more of these symptoms occur to you, you should immediately consult a doctor.
