Introduction to Parkinson’s Disease
Today, degenerative diseases are a major health problem due to the increase in its social impact in recent decades. Contrary to what he thinks much of the population, their appearance does not always occur in older people but may also suffer them young people between 20 and 40 years depending on the disease concerned.
The current research aimed at identifying the causes of these diseases, and that despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, many are still of unknown cause: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia…
Much remains to be investigated, so it’s currently not possible to establish strategies and measures of prevention. In this chapter we will refer only Parkinson’s disease, since it is the only one of these pathologies in which some eating patterns can improve the quality of life of patients.
Elsewhere, there is still no specific dietary therapy to help improve the symptoms of the disease, yes, the diet in any case, will target you maintain or achieve a good nutritional status according to their particular situation, ie, to cover all his energy and nutrient needs to prevent malnutrition and / or potential weaknesses or deficiencies of vitamins and minerals.
Parkinson’s is a disease that affects more than 65,000 Spanish and whose incidence is increasing. Is a cause of disability in the elderly, but increasingly affecting younger people, even to individuals under 40 years. It is a chronic and progressive degeneration of brain structures responsible for the coordination of movement, balance and posture. It currently has good pharmacological and psychological treatments that allow patients to make a normal life.
The most common symptoms are: slow, rhythmic tremor not be present in all cases (more evident when at rest), slowing of movement, which occurs in both automatic movements, swallowing, blinking, etc., As in volunteers, bradykinesia (lack of expression on the face), muscle stiffness, abnormal posture (inclination of the head and torso forward, a tendency to keep the elbows and knees cramped), abnormal walking (idle, short, quick steps , abrupt increase in the rate of progress), balance disorders (can manifest in advanced disease), constipation, insomnia, impaired vision …. Current therapy minimizes combines symptoms and drugs, dietary patterns, physical therapy, speech therapy, counseling, and only in selected cases, surgery.