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Degenerative Diseases
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Published: September 29, 2006
Degenerative diseases affect millions of people, yet little is known about them. Though the types of diseases vary, they all have the same result; the deterioration of one's mind or body with the aging process. Degenerative diseases are considered the opposite of infectious diseases. These diseases cause the progressive deterioration of the structure, tissues or organs over time.
Some prominent degenerative diseases include Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, osteoporosis, cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease and Huntington's disease. Whether the atrophy occurs in the nervous, muscular or skeletal systems, the outcomes are painful and often fatal.
A common degenerative disease is Parkinson's. This disease was recently given a face when actor Michael J. Fox publicly declared he had the disease in 1998. It is a brain disorder where certain nerve cells that produce dopamine become impaired. The production of dopamine allows the smooth and coordinated movement of the body and muscles. Without this production, the body loses its ability to control itself. The onset of this disease occurs when eighty percent of dopamine producing cells fail to function properly.
Since this degenerative disease affects the body's ability to move smoothly and with coordination, the symptoms are often apparent. The most prominent symptom is tremor, or shaking. With this disease, a person's movements slow down, their muscles become rigid and their ability to balance worsens.
Parkinson's disease is non-discriminatory. It affects both men and women equally with approximately 60,000 cases each year. It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans have the disease. Although this degenerative disease usually acts on those over the age of sixty-five, there are at least fifteen percent of people living with the disease who are younger than fifty years old.
Parkinson's is difficult to diagnose. Usually brain scans like MRIs can be used to rule out other causes or diseases. It is recommended to seek a neurological specialist experienced with the disease. After diagnosis, the patient can be treated with certain medications to slow the effects of the disease. Although there is no cure, there are prescription drugs that mimic dopamine and can assist the body's ability to move fluidly. As a last option, some people suffering from this degenerative disease opt for brain surgery; though this is considered extremely risky and should be avoided if possible.
Another degenerative disease that affects millions of people is osteoporosis. It differs from Parkinson's in that it affects the skeletal structure of the body. It is defined as a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue leading to fractures. The most common bones fractured due to this disease are the hip, spine and wrist, though there can be others.
Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women than in men. Approximately ten million people are living with this disease, eight million of them being women. This disease kills more women every year than cervical, ovarian and womb cancer combined. As a woman goes through the aging process, menopause will begin. This onset of menopause puts these aging women at more of a risk than non-menopausal women.
One third of women over the age of fifty lose height caused by tiny fractures in the spine. By the age of sixty, one in four women incurs a serious fracture. By the late sixties, women lose bone at a rate of four percent per year which is about thirty percent per decade. There is a reason for the late onset of this disease. Once a person has reached fifty years of age, the ability to regenerate bone decreases and bone loss increases.
Osteoporosis is known as the silent disease because typically there are no symptoms. However it can be diagnosed through a test called the bone mineral density test, or BMD test. The BMD can verify whether the onset of this degenerative disease has occurred.
Although the symptoms are hard to recognize, there are many preliminary actions that can be taken to prevent osteoporosis. Vitamins K, C, D and B6 are the most important when it comes to bone density and strength. A well-balanced and nutritious diet is an essential part in the prevention of this disease. Where as initially this disease was thought to be caused by old age, it is coming to light that an inactive lifestyle and poor diet also lead to the degenerative disease. However if the disease already exists in the skeletal body, there are medications such as bisphosphonates that can ease the pain and discomfort and help to save or even regenerate some bone.
These degenerative diseases will develop and worsen over time, and those affected will have the disease for the rest of their life. However, once a degenerative disease has been diagnosed, the treatments and medications available can assist in slowing the progression of the disease. The more knowledge gained about what causes degenerative diseases and ways to treat or cure them, the more apt we will be at eradicating them from the human body.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. 2006. 28 September 2006. www.nof.org
National Parkinson Foundation. 2006. 28 September 2006. www.parkinson.org
Nurse Minerva. 9 July 2006. 28 September 2006. www.nurseminerva.co.uk/degenera.htm
Related Articles
A common degenerative disease is Parkinson's. This disease was recently given a face when actor Michael J. Fox publicly declared he had the disease in 1998. It is a brain disorder where certain nerve cells that produce dopamine become impaired. The production of dopamine allows the smooth and coordinated movement of the body and muscles. Without this production, the body loses its ability to control itself. The onset of this disease occurs when eighty percent of dopamine producing cells fail to function properly.
Since this degenerative disease affects the body's ability to move smoothly and with coordination, the symptoms are often apparent. The most prominent symptom is tremor, or shaking. With this disease, a person's movements slow down, their muscles become rigid and their ability to balance worsens.
Parkinson's disease is non-discriminatory. It affects both men and women equally with approximately 60,000 cases each year. It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans have the disease. Although this degenerative disease usually acts on those over the age of sixty-five, there are at least fifteen percent of people living with the disease who are younger than fifty years old.
Parkinson's is difficult to diagnose. Usually brain scans like MRIs can be used to rule out other causes or diseases. It is recommended to seek a neurological specialist experienced with the disease. After diagnosis, the patient can be treated with certain medications to slow the effects of the disease. Although there is no cure, there are prescription drugs that mimic dopamine and can assist the body's ability to move fluidly. As a last option, some people suffering from this degenerative disease opt for brain surgery; though this is considered extremely risky and should be avoided if possible.
Another degenerative disease that affects millions of people is osteoporosis. It differs from Parkinson's in that it affects the skeletal structure of the body. It is defined as a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue leading to fractures. The most common bones fractured due to this disease are the hip, spine and wrist, though there can be others.
Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women than in men. Approximately ten million people are living with this disease, eight million of them being women. This disease kills more women every year than cervical, ovarian and womb cancer combined. As a woman goes through the aging process, menopause will begin. This onset of menopause puts these aging women at more of a risk than non-menopausal women.
One third of women over the age of fifty lose height caused by tiny fractures in the spine. By the age of sixty, one in four women incurs a serious fracture. By the late sixties, women lose bone at a rate of four percent per year which is about thirty percent per decade. There is a reason for the late onset of this disease. Once a person has reached fifty years of age, the ability to regenerate bone decreases and bone loss increases.
Osteoporosis is known as the silent disease because typically there are no symptoms. However it can be diagnosed through a test called the bone mineral density test, or BMD test. The BMD can verify whether the onset of this degenerative disease has occurred.
Although the symptoms are hard to recognize, there are many preliminary actions that can be taken to prevent osteoporosis. Vitamins K, C, D and B6 are the most important when it comes to bone density and strength. A well-balanced and nutritious diet is an essential part in the prevention of this disease. Where as initially this disease was thought to be caused by old age, it is coming to light that an inactive lifestyle and poor diet also lead to the degenerative disease. However if the disease already exists in the skeletal body, there are medications such as bisphosphonates that can ease the pain and discomfort and help to save or even regenerate some bone.
These degenerative diseases will develop and worsen over time, and those affected will have the disease for the rest of their life. However, once a degenerative disease has been diagnosed, the treatments and medications available can assist in slowing the progression of the disease. The more knowledge gained about what causes degenerative diseases and ways to treat or cure them, the more apt we will be at eradicating them from the human body.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. 2006. 28 September 2006. www.nof.org
National Parkinson Foundation. 2006. 28 September 2006. www.parkinson.org
Nurse Minerva. 9 July 2006. 28 September 2006. www.nurseminerva.co.uk/degenera.htm
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