Phases Of Parkinson’s Disease
There are several ways to classify the stages of Parkinson’s disease. The most widely accepted include five phases, one of which corresponds to mild symptoms, two to moderate symptoms, and two to severe symptoms.
Parkinson’s disease has several stages, but not all people with the disease go through all stages. This pathology usually has a slow course, which can be very different from person to person.
In all cases, gradual deterioration occurs. However, with the help of medication and rehabilitation therapies, its progression can be noticeably slowed down. Because of this, not all affected people reach the most serious stages. Would you like to know more?
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a disease of the nervous system that affects movement. It is a degenerative disorder in which the brain cells that produce the dopamine hormone stop working.
It is considered to be the most common neurodegenerative disease, after Alzheimer’s disease. It affects both men and women equally; most are patients over the age of 50. Its symptoms appear gradually and there is no definitive cure.
Tremors are a typical symptom of the disease, but stiffness or limited movement sometimes replaces these tremors. The disease also creates impaired posture and balance, slowness of movement, and changes in speaking and writing.
Mild and moderate stages of Parkinson’s disease
There are several categorizations, but the most conventional remains the classification of Hoehn and Yahr. This divides Parkinson’s disease into five stages. The initial phases correspond to milder symptoms, while the last ones correspond to severe manifestations. Let’s see the details below.
Phase 1
In phase 1, mild symptoms occur, usually reduced to tremors in a specific area of the body. The affected person may experience heavy legs and see changes in their handwriting.
There may also be less facial expressiveness, barely noticeable poor posture, and reduced arm swing when walking. If the treatment is started from this phase, the symptoms improve as soon as the medication is taken and the patient retains his autonomy.
Phase 2
In the second phase, the symptoms of phase 1 intensify, the tremors or stiffness appear on both sides of the body, although they may remain minimal in one of the two sides.
Difficulty walking and balancing can also get worse. Difficulties in speaking may appear. Problems with performing physical tasks will also be more apparent. Despite everything, autonomy is maintained.
Phase 3
Symptoms become noticeable, especially since the affected person will have great difficulty walking in a straight line. Reflexes decrease and serious balance problems occur.
Although the patient can perform some daily tasks, many of them are now impossible to perform. Autonomy suffers. In phases two and three, the drug becomes effective for a shorter period of time, resulting in gradual increases in doses.
Severe phases
Stages four and five are considered severe stages of Parkinson’s disease. At this point, autonomy is notoriously compromised and symptoms are evident.
Phase 4
In phase 4, patients can still walk, but to a limited extent. Usually, the use of a walker or other type of technical aid is necessary. The stiffness and slowness of movements become very noticeable.
During this stage, the tremors usually go away, without science knowing why it happens. On the other hand, a greater rigidity appears. A person in phase 4 cannot perform daily tasks on their own and will need a caregiver.
Phase 5
As the disease progresses to this phase, the affected patient cannot walk or stand without losing balance. The patient can no longer take care of himself and therefore needs continued assistance.
In most cases, at this stage, the patient no longer responds to the drugs. This makes it necessary to perform more invasive treatments such as a Duodopa pump, which is an infusion made through the intestine.
The stages of Parkinson’s disease are progressive
There is no defined time for each step. The process is believed to take 10 to 14 years, from phase 1 to phase 5. However, many patients never reach the severe stages of the disease.
In recent years, increasingly effective treatments have been developed for severe cases. These include deep brain stimulation, focal ultrasound, and stem cell therapy.
