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Discovery - Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease that received its name from the man who discovered the illness, Dr. James Parkinson.

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Parkinson's disease - Also known as Parkinson's disease, it affects the central nervous system and the brain's ability to control bodily movement.

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Parkinson's disease - The illness attacks dopamine-producing neurons located in a part of the brain that controls coordinated movement. 

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Initial symptoms - The diagnosis of the disease can only occur once the illness has affected around 80% of neurons. At that time, symptoms begin appearing.

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Causes - Scientists are still unsure as to the illness's exact causes, but there are a series of risk factors that can be identified.

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Risk factors: age - One risk factor is age. The illness tends to manifest in people at around 60 years old.

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Risk factors: genetics - Another risk factor is whether or not someone else in the family has a history of the disease.

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Risk factors: toxins - Contact with specific agrotoxins, like herbicides and pesticides, can occasionally cause neurological lesions that are associated with the development of Parkinson's.

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Risk factors: gender - Gender is another factor that can influence the development of the disease. It is more common in men.

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Risk factors: head injuries - People who practice body combat sports, including boxers, are more likely to develop the disease as the result of frequent head injuries.

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Diagnosis - Parkinson's disease can be mistaken for other neurological illnesses, which can make it difficult to diagnose.

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Diagnosis - The diagnosis is related to the medical history of the patient and the changes they report experiencing, making it very important to understand the symptoms.

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Symptoms - There are two types of symptoms: movement and non-movement.

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Movement symptoms: tremors - One of the most well-known symptoms of Parkinson's disease is that a person will show almost imperceptible tremors when at rest.

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Movement symptoms: postural instability - The brain is also responsible for our balance when we are standing or walking. Because Parkinson's disease attacks the central nervous system, muscular reflexes are also compromised.

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Movement symptoms: postural instability - The loss of stability, however, is more common in later stages of the disease when a patient can actually end up falling down.

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Movement symptoms: muscular rigidity - This is another common symptom that starts by only affecting one side of the body. The patient feels as if they are trapped in their body. One example of this is when a person's arms stop swinging naturally by their sides while they walk.

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Movement symptoms: muscular rigidity - Another factor associated with this symptom is that a person will feel pain when trying to walk. Movements become more and more limited.

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Movement symptoms: bradykinesia - Another common characteristic of the disease is the decrease in intensity of movements, or as specialists say, bradykinesia.

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Movement symptoms: bradykinesia - Along with reduction of intensity of movements, it can also be difficult to carry out simple tasks due to muscle weakness and loss of coordination.

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Other movement symptoms - Other movement symptoms include speech alterations, drooling, blurred vision, incontinence, and micrographia.

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Non-movement symptoms - Now that we've looked at movement symptoms, let's learn more about how the illness manifests in a non-physical way.

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Non-movement symptoms - Among the main non-movement symptoms of Parkinson's disease are anxiety, cognitive changes, feeling apathetic, loss of smell, hallucinations, dementia, and sleep disorders.

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Progression of the illness - The progression of the disease can vary across patients and can lead to other problems, like pneumonia.

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Treating Parkinson's disease - Treatment needs to be taken very seriously so that a patient is not rendered completely disabled given the loss of motor control. 

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Treatments: medication - There are various medications recommended for those suffering from Parkinson's disease. They help alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. However, they should only be taken with the approval and prescription of a doctor.

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Side effect: motor fluctuations - The use of medication can cause a side effect known as motor fluctuations. It is marked by a patient feeling that their symptoms have greatly improved, but soon ends up drastically changing again.

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Treatment: physical activity - Physical activity is also recommended to help slow down movement degradation.

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Quality of life - Although there is still no cure for the illness, treatment can help improve quality of life for the patient.

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