Friday, April 10, 2015

World Parkinson's Day 2015

Tomorrow, April 11th, is World Parkinson's Day, a day to bring awareness, promote research and unite those who have been affected by Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition resulting from a shortage of Dopamine, a chemical that helps instructions from the brain to cross from one nerve cell to the next, in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which has to do with controlling movement.

Symptoms include:

  • Trembling of hands, arms, legs, jaw and face
  • Stiffness of the arms, legs and trunk
  • Slowness of movement
  • Poor balance and coordination

Parkinson's affects about one person on every 500 and there is currently no cure.


Some resources which may be of interest are listed below:
  • The website of the Parkinson's Association of Ireland at www.parkinsons.ie has information on all aspects of the disorder in Ireland including links to support networks and information on treatments and medication