Some people hardly notice their symptoms in the early stages of Parkinson's and lead a full life for many years.

But symptoms usually get worse as time goes by and your brain makes less and less of the

 

 

 

 

 

neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help to carry messages between nerve cells. Serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline are all neurotransmitters.

 

 

 

 

 

neurotransmitter

 

 

 

 

 

dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical that helps messages pass between brain cells and other cells. Dopamine plays a role in your mood, and your physical movements.

 

 

 

 

 

dopamine. For more information, see What is Parkinson's disease?

There's no cure for Parkinson's disease. But there are treatments that work well. Some work so well that you may forget about your symptoms for a while. For more information, see What treatments work for Parkinson's disease?

But the disease will eventually progress, and the drugs might not work so well when this happens.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Pearce JM.
Parkinson's disease and its management.
Oxford Medical, London, UK; 1992.

 

 

 

 

 

¹

You may also get other problems because of Parkinson's disease. For example, you might feel depressed, find it hard to get to sleep or have problems chewing and swallowing. For more information, see Other problems linked with Parkinson's disease.

These problems can be treated with medication or sometimes with other kinds of therapy. For example, if the muscles in your face are stiff and make speaking difficult, speech and language therapy can help you adapt the way you talk.

Many people want to know how they will be in two or three years' time. But the truth is that no one can say for sure. Science and medicine change all the time as we find out new things about how the brain works. In the next few years, new medications may become available that we know very little about today.

The important thing is to keep positive. There's also a lot you can do to stay healthy.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Parkinson's Disease Foundation.
Understanding Parkinson's.
Available at http://www.pdf.org (accessed on 2 April 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

²

If you're caring for someone with Parkinson's disease, you may need support, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
O'Reilly F, Finnan F, Allwright S, et al.
The effects of caring for a spouse with Parkinson's disease on social, psychological and physical well-being.
British Journal of General Practice. 1996; 46: 507-512.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴ If you feel you can't cope or you get depressed, see your doctor. They may be able to put you in touch with local support groups and organizations that offer help in the home.

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