General Medical And Health Lab

Posts Tagged ‘Parkinson’s symptoms’

The low dopamine levels caused by Parkinson’s disease interfere with regular sleep patterns. People with PD often have trouble fall­ing asleep, waking frequently during the night, and staying up for hours in the middle of the night. This condition is known as sleep fragmentation. Just as people with Parkinson’s have good days and bad, we also have good nights and bad.

“Rest is a problem,” said James, 51. “I suffer from insomnia. I get about two to three hours of sleep a night; sometimes I’m up for two or three days at a time. I’ve gotten used to it. If I get more than four hours of sleep, I feel stiff, almost frozen. It takes two doses of medication before I’m up and able to move enough to do anything. About a month ago, I slept 12 hours, and it took almost 24 hours to get over that.” Read the rest of this entry »

Life is stressful for everyone, particularly those of us with PD. Just as your body can’t tell the difference between real and imagined stress, your body can’t tell whether the relaxation response was triggered by a change in circumstances or a change in your attitude. This can work to your advantage because you can learn to promote relaxation and reverse the stress response by using various mind-body techniques.

Studies have shown that people who are well-trained in mind-body techniques can voluntarily lower their blood pressure and heart rate, alter their brain-wave activity, reduce blood-sugar lev­els, and ease muscle tension. With practice, you, too, can put mind over illness and use stress-reduction techniques to help control your Parkinson’s symptoms.

You can learn more about each approach by checking books out of the local library or contacting a community center or health clinic to inquire whether classes are offered in your area. Read the rest of this entry »