Parkinson's Disease Stages

Parkinson's disease is the degenerative disease of the neurons, which affects about 1 million people in the US. The cause of this disease is still unknown, although some associate it with heredity or exposure to environmental toxins. The disease affects the motor ability of the person at various levels and strips him of his independence in the later stages of the disease. The disease originates in the part of brain, but has effects on the entire body of the person. Parkinson's disease is divided into 5 stages depending upon the severity of symptoms and advancement of disease.

What is Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease usually affects people of age 60 and more. In about 5% of Parkinson's cases, the disease hits people at 40 years of age. It is extremely rare to find Parkinson's patients younger than 40 years of age. This disease results from loss of neurons in the part of brain called substantia nigra. This leads to depletion of chemical neurotransmitter called dopamine. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease do not surface until there is 80% depletion of this chemical neurotransmitter. Dopamine neurons contain mitochondria which are responsible for converting food into energy with the help of oxygen. As a result, the brain of Parkinson's patients is often deprived of energy, which affects various vital functions. Motor disability is the most important implication of Parkinson's disease. Impaired walking, poor posture, odd facial expressions, tremors are some other symptoms of this disease. Parkinson's can be treated, but the treatment cannot entirely reverse the effects of the disease. Nonetheless, this disease does not affect the lifespan of the person. Prognosis is greatly dependent upon the advancement of the disease, which is not uniform for all patients.

Parkinson's Disease Stages

There are five identified stages of Parkinson's disease. It may take 20 years in some patients for the disease to advance in later stages, while in some people the disease progresses very quickly. It is also not uncommon for the disease to skip a stage and make a transition to the next one, thereby reducing the timeline. Given below is a detailed account of Parkinson's disease symptoms at each stage.

Stage I
Stage I is characterized by early Parkinson's disease symptoms. There is no major motor impairment and the person only experiences minor tremors in hands or in other body parts. Although, he can perform all his daily tasks on his own, he may not be able to carry them with ease. Friends and family may be able to notice some unusual changes in the posture or facial expressions of the person.

Stage II
As the disease progresses to stage II, person may experience bilateral symptoms, meaning symptoms affecting both the limbs of the body. Besides, it is also common to lose balance and ability to walk on their own. Daily tasks become more of a challenge at this stage.

Stage III
Stage III Parkinson's is said to be of severe nature, as the person loses his independence to a certain extent. Although, he can still walk around, it is often rigid and awkward. There is a general retardation of physical movements of the body.

Stage IV
Surprisingly, the tremors or shaking which is common during the early stages of Parkinson's disease vanish at this time. However, the person finds it difficult to live on his own at this stage. At stage IV, the walking is severely impaired.

Stage V
At stage V, the person becomes completely dependent on other people for his daily tasks. The condition of the patient is such that he needs one on one nursing and care. Without a care giver, the person might find it simply impossible to sustain. At this stage, the person may sleep for most of his time. Weird behavior is also possible in some cases.

Certain medications can help in keeping the early symptoms of Parkinson's disease in check or prolong the advancement of disease. Final stages may prove to be quite a challenge to cope for the patient as well as his family. Family members might find it hard to see their beloved in bedridden state for years without any hope of revival.