Even with Parkinson’s disease having quite idiosyncratic features, it is a relatively difficult disease to diagnose, especially in its early stages. There are no specific tests which doctors can do to positively diagnose Parkinson’s disease and in particular, in it’s early stages it can be mistaken for other diseases. If and when this happens, it…
Symptoms of Parkinsons Disease
The earliest symptom of Parkinsons Disease is most often limb tremors, particularly when the body is at rest. For most people diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease, their first warning comes when a leg suddenly starts shaking while theyre laying in bed, and wont stop. The tremor can involve a hand, a foot, a leg or an…
What Is Levodopa (L-Dopa)
The drug levodopa, also known as L-dopa, has been used since the 1960s as the primary drug treatment for Parkinson’s Disease. Levodopa is a natural substance that is found in both plants and animals. The compound is actually a precursor to dopamine, and unlike dopamine, it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. As a…
Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine is a chemical messenger made by your nerves. Some medicines that are used to treat various neurological conditions work by stopping acetylcholine from doing its job. Acetylcholine (ACh) was first identified in 1914 by Henry Hallett Dale for its actions on heart tissue. It was confirmed as a neurotransmitter by Otto Loewi. Both received…
Alzheimers Disease History
Named after Alois Alzheimers, a German psychologist, Alzheimer’s disease gives the impression of being a disease of the twentieth century; however, the various disorders which comprise the disease have probably existed for centuries. This disease is named after Dr. Alzheimer, but his colleague Emil Kraepelin was just as important in the discovery of the disease.…
What is a Migraine?
We’ve all heard the term before, but what exactly is a migraine headache? And how does it differ from other headache types? One way to tell it’s a migraine is by the length of time it lasts. A migraine isn’t going to go away in a half-hour. Unless you are very, very, very lucky. Chances…
Famous Migraine Sufferers
Think youre alone in suffering from migraines? When the really bad ones hit, it certainly seems as you alone are the only suffering. As a matter of fact, however, not only are migraines incredibly common, but some of the most famous and well-known people in history have suffered from this debilitating neurological disease. Not only…
Migraine Auras
Migraines come with and without auras. Neither can be said to be less painful than the other, though the aura-less may be less stressful and frightening. Although migraines are often associated with auras, in fact only about 20% of migraine sufferers actually experience any of the symptoms of aura. The aura stage is part of…
Metastatic Lung Cancer
Metastatic lung cancer is a form of cancer that has spread to the lungs from other parts of the body. In metastatic lung cancer, cancer in other parts like the breast, colon, prostate, or bladder spreads to the lungs through the bloodstream and forms cancerous growth in the lungs. This type of cancer in the…