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Parkinson's illness has been classified into five stages by Hoehn and Yahr. Their classification is based on the severity of symptoms and the degree of disability the patient experiences.
When prescribing remedy, the neurologist will take into account the stage at which the patient is perceived to be, among other items.
Stage 1 is referred to as unilateral illness. The term indicates that only one particular side of the body shows symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
This is considered an early stage of the illness and could last for several years. Neuroprotective remedy is common at this stage. This therapy aims to avert further harm to the nervous system.
Vitamin E was utilised at this stage, but a lot of researchers are of the opinion that this is not extremely productive. A selective MAO-B inhibitor named Rasigiline has shown promise.
Stage 2 of Parkinson's illness is labeled bilateral disease. Meaning, symptoms of Parkinson's now show up on both sides of the body. The illness is considered to be at Stage 2 even if there is an insignificant symptom (an occasional tremor, for instance) on the side of the physique that was symptom-totally free earlier.
Current therapies at this stage include use of dopamine agonists. Till some years ago, dopamine agonists had been employed only at later stages of the illness. At present, researchers are of the view that if such therapy is began earlier, complications from utilizing drugs like Levodopa might not arise at later stages.
The disease is said to be at stage 3 when symptoms show progression and specifically when the patient has difficulty in keeping their posture. Symptoms at this stage consist of postural instability and falling down.
Traditionally, this is the stage at which dopamine agonists or Levodopa was prescribed, but as pointed out above, some of these drugs are now used at earlier stages itself.
Stage 4 occurs when there is an increase in the severity of symptoms like postural instability and falling. Surgery is one choice for therapy at this stage. Surgery can alleviate some of the symptoms. Nevertheless, this is generally recommended only for relatively young individuals who are in very good well being otherwise.
Stage 5 is the most advanced stage of Parkinson's illness. The patient is normally wheelchair bound. Walking is achievable only with assistance.
Levodopa continues to be a prescribed drug at this stage, along with a COMT inhibitor, which ensures that the effects last longer. Surgery may also be an choice, like pallidotomy, which destroys a tiny group of brain cells. This assists stay away from the rigidity usually experienced with Parkinson's illness and might cease tremors as well.
An additional achievable treatment is deep brain stimulation, where electrodes are implanted into the brain tissue and stimulated with low level electric currents.
The symptoms of Parkinson's illness progress as the patient moves from one stage to the next. Ongoing research is creating new treatment options such as stem cell implants and new drugs. small blue arrow
