April 11 is World Parkinson's Day, first of all, a question to ask everyone, do you know how much the average annual cost of treatment is with Parkinson's disease?
According to the "National Prevention of Major Disease Health Education Reader" compiled by the Chinese Association of Actuaries, the average annual treatment cost of Parkinson's disease can reach 75,000 yuan, and because Parkinson's disease cannot be completely cured at present, this treatment and care often needs to last a lifetime.
(Source: "National Health Education Reader on Prevention of Major Diseases")
Parkinson's disease, a common degenerative disease of the nervous system in the elderly, is due to damaged nerve cells in the substantia nigra area of the brain that do not produce enough dopamine to transmit information and coordinate muscle movements, which affects limb movements and a series of accompanying symptoms.
Parkinson's disease on average onset around the age of 60 years, slow onset, long course, and gradually has a tendency to rejuvenate.
Due to the difficulty of treatment, the high cost of medical treatment, and the poor quality of life of patients, Parkinson's disease is listed as one of the 25 major diseases in mainland China.
Typical symptoms of Parkinson's disease
The symptoms of Parkinson's disease are mainly divided into two aspects: motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms:
/ Motor Symptoms /
Bradykinesia
Due to the high muscle tone, the movement of getting up, walking, turning around, and even turning over in bed is relatively slow, which is the core symptom of Parkinson's disease.
Muscle stiffness, joint flexion
Due to muscle stiffness, the joints, trunk, and neck may be overflexed.
Resting tremor
When the hand is not moving, there may be a tremor like a pill rubbing motion, which can be aggravated when nervous.
Generally, it starts with one hand, then develops to the tremor of the ipsilateral foot, and then develops to the tremor of the contralateral hand and the contralateral foot, in an N-shaped development.
Quiescent tremor occurs in 50% to 60% of patients, which is one of the most well-known symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
pain
Stiff and flexion of muscles and joints can cause waist and leg pain, neck and back pain, etc., which are easily confused with lumbar spondylosis and cervical spondylosis.
Walking unsteadily
In the later stages of Parkinson's disease, there may also be postural disorders, resulting in easy walking and falling, and some patients may also lead to fractures.
/ Non-motor symptoms /
Psychiatric symptoms
Depression, anxiety, decreased interest, low mood may occur, irritability, mania, and other mood disorders may occur.
"Mask Face"
Under the combined effect of emotional problems and excessive facial muscle tone, patients may have a rich expression and gradually become indifferent and expressionless, as if wearing a mask.
Sleep disorders
Sleep disorders are one of the most important non-motor symptoms, mainly manifested as not being able to sleep at night, waking up easily after falling asleep, dreaming in the middle of the night, and even cursing, punching and kicking. The next day, on the contrary, I fell asleep, often sleeping for a day, and I was always sleepy.
Autonomic symptoms
Such as sweating, a little activity will sweat; erect hypotension, dizziness as soon as you stand up; frequent urination, especially nocturia is also easy to affect sleep; constipation, poor appetite and so on.
Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease are easily overlooked
80% to 90% of patients with Parkinson's disease will have olfactory disorders in the early stages, that is, the sense of smell becomes insensitive and odorless, and some patients have experienced olfactory disorders even 10-20 years before the onset of motor symptoms.
Of course, colds, rhinitis, infection with the new crown virus and other conditions may also lead to olfactory disorders, which need to be distinguished.
In addition, when the body always feels "weak", it is also necessary to be wary of Parkinson's disease.
Many Parkinson's patients may have early symptoms as fatigue and lack of energy, especially in the elderly, especially in the presence of pain, limb flexion and other symptoms, it is more important to pay attention to the possibility of Parkinson's disease to avoid misdiagnosis.
Parkinson's disease focuses on prevention
The specific cause of Parkinson's disease is still unclear, and it is speculated that it may be related to the combined effects of genetics, environment and aging of the body. Therefore, especially those who have a family history of Parkinson's disease, they should pay more attention to prevention.
Strictly control hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia, and avoid cerebral ischemia and hypoxia caused by arteriosclerosis;
Usually, we should also pay attention to protecting the brain and nerves, avoiding trauma, exercising more, using the brain moderately, regular work and rest, and adequate sleep;
Try to avoid contact with some toxic substances in the living environment, such as herbicides, heavy metals (manganese, mercury, etc.), to avoid carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide poisoning and so on.
Resources:
Medical Microvision Official Website - Xing Yan Chief Physician "Parkinson's Disease"
"National Health Education Reader on Prevention of Major Diseases"