Mens Health Blog. Medical Blog

James Parkinson, a general practitioner in London, described the condition which bears his name in 1817.

Paralysis agitans or Parkinson’s disease is a common disorder and may affect one person in 100 over the age of 60. It is equally common in men and women.

There are a number of factors which have been identified in causing what we call Parkinsonism, but most cases of Parkinson’s disease arise from causes we can’t yet determine.

The first symptom is usually tremor of one hand then clumsiness of fine finger movements, such as required when doing up buttons.

The tremor of the hands becomes more marked if the person is agitated or when he moves his hand to carry out a particular task. The tremor disappears during sleep.

There is no cure for this disorder but control is possible in most cases. A variety of drugs have been used over the years, but the most effective is levodopa. This seems to replace a chemical activator of brain tissue which may be lacking in Parkinson’s disease.

This drug is often combined with others. Amantadine, a drug introduced to prevent viral infections, particularly influenza, was found to be of benefit in relieving the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and can be used alone or in combination.

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Perhaps the most common cause is simply bad habits.

If the urge to empty the bowel is ignored because it is inconvenient, the stimulus may not come back. The large bowel acts as a reservoir, holding the contents until it is convenient to be emptied.

Water is also absorbed. The contents of the small bowel are fluid, and the motion becomes firmer as water is absorbed in its passage through the large bowel or colon. If there is ‘hurry up’ and the passage is too rapid, the motion will be fluid. This is what happens in diarrhoea.

If the passage is slowed, too much water is absorbed and the motion becomes hard and difficult to pass. This is constipation.

Repeated constipation may lead to the taking of laxatives which can be habit-forming.

Laxatives may be taken by mouth or inserted into the rectum. The simplest work by lubrication and liquid paraffin is the most common of these. Long term use may lead to leakage from the anus and soiling of the underwear. It interferes with the absorption of fat and the fat soluble vitamins. Paraffin taken at night may trickle down the windpipe and slowly build up in the lung, causing a type of pneumonia.

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