World Parkinson's Day: Take 6 For PD

Millions of people suffer from Parkinson's disease but not many outside of the medical realm are aware of what it is. World Parkinson's Disease Day is a global healthcare event celebrated on April 11 every year, with the aim of recognizing the economic, social, and cultural impact brought by Parkinson’s disease. It also comes together to focus on the acceptance, support, and inclusion of the patients suffering from the ailment.

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What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative movement disorder. It has hallmark motor symptoms such as tremors and rigidity and is estimated to affect at least 60 lakh individuals worldwide. The prevalence rates are estimated to increase in the coming years. It mainly affects the elderly.

Patients with Parkinson’s disease demonstrate emotional and communicative challenges such as difficulty generating and understanding emotional facial expressions and emotional speech (dysarthria), as well as struggling to acknowledge verbal and nonverbal emotional cues.

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What is the History Behind World Parkinson’s Day

World Parkinson’s Day marks the birthday of Dr. J Parkinson on 11 April. Dr. James Parkinson, an English doctor, and scientist, first described the disease in “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy”, which was published in 1817. He described a pattern of lessened muscular power and involuntary tremulous motion. He also wrote that there is a tendency for people with this disease to bend the body forward and to involuntarily switch from a walking to a running pace, while the senses and intellect deteriorate.

It wasn’t until several decades later, in the 1870s, that the ailment was named Parkinson’s Disease (sometimes called PD). When French Neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot picked up and continued the work started by Dr. Parkinson, Charcot then named the disease in honor of him.

The first World Parkinson’s Day took place in 1997. It was started by a collaboration between the World Health Organization and the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA), with the two groups having a focus on raising awareness and support for research and information surrounding the prevention of and a cure for this medical condition. It is now an official WHO holiday supported by the United Nations.

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Theme for World Parkinson’s Day 2023: Take 6 for PD

The theme for World Parkinson’s Day 2023 is #Take6forPD, in light of the new incidence study which indicates that a person receives a Parkinson's disease diagnosis every six minutes.

It can happen to anyone and it is always better to get diagnosed.
Significance of World Parkinson’s Day Even though it is the second most common neuro-degenerative disease worldwide, Parkinson’s disease remains undetermined in many parts of the world.

However, it could be estimated that around 10 lakh people over the age of 60 are affected by the ailment.

Outside of medical circles,not much is known about Parkinson’s disease, mainly due to its symptoms profile. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease do resemble the common old age inattentiveness which partly contributes to cases remaining unidentified. This lack of information exacerbates the challenge of healthcare access in poor countries.

There’s no doubt that World Parkinson’s Day is an important cause to get behind, and this is the perfect day to do it. So now it’s time to get started and observe this day.

Tulip: The Symbol for Parkinson’s Disease

The Red Tulip was adopted as the official symbol for the disease at the 9th World Parkinsonian’s Day conference held in Luxembourg in 2005.

The story of the Red Tulip can be tied back to J.W.S. Van der Wereld, a Dutch horticulturist who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. He had successfully generated a Red and White Tulip and named it in honor of the man who named his medical condition.
What Can I do for World Parkinson’s Day Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson's disease and dopaminergic therapies can be used but these medications need higher dosages over time for achieving a similar level of control over motor symptoms.

You can care for patients with Parkinson’s disease by:

• Understanding as much as you can about the disease as it doesn't manifest the same way for everyone
• Help patients with tasks such as shopping, cooking, driving to medical appointments, etc
• Make the patients exercise as it helps in the dopamine rush
• Create normalcy by talking to them or indulging them in their favorite pastimes so they don’t constantly remind them that they have a chronic disease
• Look for worsening symptoms as they may progress over time
• Remain calm and patient as the disease affects the ability to walk quickly and speak clearly

Living with Parkinson’s is harder than people think. But it doesn’t define you. You are still you. You can still do amazing things in spite of Parkinson’s.

Reference:

1. Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. - (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/parkinsons-disease/)

Source-Medindia