Reported by, Nsor Paul mensah.
Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Symptoms usually begin gradually and worsen over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking.
They may also have mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue.
The Founder of Anidaso Parkinsons Disease Foundation and Specialist Physician-Neurology at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr. Vida Obese has disclosed that there is a considerable increasing number of patients below 50 years reporting with Parkinsons symptoms which they find worrying.
She made this known during a launch to create awareness campaign on Parkinson’s Disease held in Accra today 1st June 2022.
Anidaso Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (APDF) and Parkinson’s Africa (PA), are two organisations that have a common goal of improving the lives of Ghanaians affected by the disease.
In an interview with Africa NewsGh, Dr. Vida Obese, emphasize that, 12% of diseases reported at the Neurology Clinics in four major hospitals in Ghana are related to Parkinson.
She express that, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disorder in the world and that, it is currently the fastest growing diseases in Africa.
Parkinson’s disease mainly affect the substantia nigra part of the brain that is responsible for controlling movement. It may also affect other parts of the body such as the bowel, the bowel, the bones and the eye.
The disease happens when the calls that produce the brain chemical, doparmine, stop working properly and die prematurely.
A person with Parkinson’s may experience some of these symptoms-tremor, stiffness, loss or reduced sense of smell, constipation, difficulty sleeping and small handwriting-but there could be more. During the early stages of the disease, many of these symptoms are usually mild and may even go unnoticed.
Increasing age is the biggest risk factors for developing Parkinson’s, and most people who get the disease are around 60 years or older.
Parkinson’s is not contagious. It can not be spread through close contact with an effected person.
Dr. Vida further advice Ghanaians to take good care of their health