Complications of Parkinson’s Disease

Besides its primary symptoms, there are a number of complications associated with Parkinson's disease. Many of these can be alleviated with proper treatment, or avoided altogether.

Depression
About half the people with Parkinson's disease are also diagnosed with depression. In many of them, the depression can occur months or years before Parkinson's is diagnosed. While the anxiety and physical problems associated with having Parkinson's disease are stressful and frustrating, most doctors agree that the depression that often accompanies Parkinson's isn't a reaction to the diagnosis. Instead, they believe it is due to the changes to the brain that the disease causes. Appropriate treatment with antidepressants can alleviate the symptoms of depression.

Dementia
A percentage of those with Parkinson's eventually develop dementia. Dementia is characterized by memory loss, impaired judgment and personality changes. This can be one of the most difficult complications for the family to deal with. Dementia is associated with the later stages of Parkinson's. Depression symptoms may also mimic dementia. If that's the case, the symptoms may disappear with treatment of the depression.

Medication Side Effects
Some of the medications used to treat Parkinson's have side effects that can cause some complications of Parkinson's disease. The most common of these is dyskinesia – involuntary twitching or jerking of the arms or legs. Other side effects include hallucinations, sleepiness and orthostatic hypotension – a drop in blood pressure when standing up which can result in dizziness and loss of balance.

Other complications of Parkinson's disease include:

– Urinary problems
Some of the medications used to treat Parkinson's disease can cause difficulty in urinating, and Parkinson's may cause either incontinence or difficulty urinatined.

– Constipation
Because Parkinson's disease affects the involuntary muscle movements, the digestive process works more slowly. This often leads to constipation. Constipation can also be a side effect of the medications used to treat Parkinson's disease.

– Difficulty chewing and swallowing
The muscles you use to chew and swallow may be affected in the latter stages of Parkinson's disease. This can make eating difficult, and can lead to food being aspirated into the lungs.

– Difficulty sleeping
Among the sleep disorders associated with Parkinson's disease are restless sleep, difficulty falling asleep and frequent waking. People with Parkinson's may act out their dreams.

– Sexual Dysfunction
People with Parkinson's disease may experience a decrease in sexual desire. This may be a combination of physical factors and psychological factors, or it may result from physical factors alone.

– Anxiety or Panic Attacks
About 70% of Parkinson's patients with depression go on to develop anxiety. 90% of those with pre-existing diagnoses of depression go on to develop anxiety.

– Executive Dysfunction
Executive dysfunction is a precursor of dementia. It's characterized by difficulty with impulse control, assigning attention, subjective time awareness and interpreting social cues.

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