What Is Parkinson’s And What Makes You Think I Have It
Parkinsons is a progressive neurological disorder and is considered to be one of the most common neurological conditions.
Every case of Parkinsons is different and not everyone will experience the same symptoms. For example, not all people develop tremor and for some, rigidity is the major symptom. With modern medication, symptoms can be well controlled.
Our movements are controlled by nerve cells in the brain which pass messages to one another, and to the rest of the body, using chemicals called neurotransmitters. An area of the brain called the substantia nigra produces one of the neurotransmitters that controls movement: dopamine. In people with Parkinsons, 70-80% of dopamine-producing cells gradually deteriorate and are lost this is called neurodegeneration. Cell death occurs naturally with ageing, but in Parkinsons the process is much faster.
The loss of dopamine-producing neurons results in low levels of dopamine in the part of the brain that controls movement and balance. When nerve cells do not pass on brain messages properly due to a lack of dopamine, movement is no longer controlled smoothly and the symptoms of Parkinsons appear. The most common symptoms are tremor, stiffness and slowness of movement.
Difficulties that are not related to movement can also occur, such as pain, sleep disturbance and depression. These are known as non-motor symptoms.
See also About Parkinson’s.
Sneezing And Nasal Congestion
While many things can trigger sneezing, its also a symptom of mold toxicity that should get your attention. If youve never had allergies or hay fever symptoms and youre positive you dont have a cold, those sneezes could be indicative of mold exposure.
Sneezing is the immune systems standard response to allergens. It could also be a warning sign that your home has a mold problem.
Coughing And Shortness Of Breath
The irritation and inflammation caused by mold often lead to frequent coughing that is otherwise unexplained.
The throat and lungs are irritated continuously when repeatedly exposed to mycotoxins. If the issue isnt addressed, this coughing can develop into more severe conditions such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
The same inflammation that causes irritated, constricted airways that lead to wheezing and coughing can eventually lead to shortness of breath.
This gives a feeling of tightness in the chest. It may feel like you are unable to take in a full breath.
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Role Of Fungal Mould In Parkinsons Investigated
18 November, 2013By NT Contributor
Can damp, mouldy rooms increase risk of Parkinsons? Study shows fungi can affect how brain chemicals function, the Mail Online reports. But before you start frantically cleaning your home, the study in question involved flies, not humans.
In Parkinsons disease the neurotransmitter dopamine is reduced, causing problems with initiating movement, tremor at rest and muscle stiffness.
In this study, the researchers exposed flies to one of the molecules produced by fungi that gives them the characteristic musty smell found in mouldy environments: 1-octen-3-ol. Flies exposed to the molecules had difficulty with movement, loss of dopamine neurons, reduced levels of dopamine and died earlier than flies not exposed.
Exposure to the molecules also caused difficulty in the dopamine system on human embryo kidney cells in the laboratory.
This is an interesting study but it cannot prove that living in a mouldy home causes Parkinsons disease. Further large epidemiological studies in humans would be required to show a clear association between exposure and risk of developing Parkinsons disease.
However, prolonged exposure to damp mouldy environments is not recommended as this could increase the risk of you developing asthma, allergic rhinitis and chest infections.
How Long Will It Take For The Parkinson’s Diagnosis To Be Confirmed
Sometimes it may take several examinations over a period of time before the diagnosis can be made confidently.
Waiting for a diagnosis can be an anxious time, so if you do have any worries during this period talk to your doctor he or she will be able to give you further advice and try to reassure you as much as they can.
See also Diagnosis.
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Use Of Steroid Drugs To Treat Covid
Statistical analysis has proven that steroid drugs are useful in reducing mortality in COVID patients with low oxygen saturation levels, said Dr. Donna Casey, internist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. Steroids reduce inflammation however, they can negatively affect your ability to fight infection.
Gangani explained that if people arent given the appropriate dosage of steroid drugs, they can have a higher chance for contracting another infection.
An important thing is using it wisely and timely and thats where the trouble comes in, knowing when to use and how much to give, he said.
Additionally, people with other chronic conditions such as diabetes can be at higher risk for mucormycosis.
If they have uncontrolled blood sugars to begin with, and if you use steroid on top of that, their blood sugar is going to be very uncontrolled, he said. High blood sugar will lead to acidic blood, and this particular fungus, it actually thrives in high blood sugar and high acidic environments.
Dr. Minh Nghi, an internist at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest in Fort Worth, Texas pointed out that people living with diabetes and COVID-19 are at a disadvantage, as they have both diabetes and also are likely to be given steroids as a treatment for COVID.
How Is Sugar Linked To Parkinsons
Research has linked sugar and Parkinsons in a number of ways:
- An increase in sugar cravings may be a side effect of the types of microorganisms that live in our gut that can change in people with Parkinsons.
- Some people report that eating sugary foods makes their Parkinson’s symptoms worse but this has yet to be proven through scientific research.
- Diabetes has been shown to increase the risk of neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinsons.
Research into the impact of diabetes both type 1 and type 2 on the brain is a hot topic and the potential connection to Parkinsons is becoming clearer.
High blood sugar levels can cause the brain to age and shrink. It can also lead to small-vessel disease reducing blood flow to the brain and increasing the risk of vascular dementia.
These effects are so significant that scientists are developing ways to try to combat the neurological consequences of diabetes. In America, researchers are testing if nasal sprays containing insulin can boost the areas of the brain associated with memory. Results showing improved cognition in healthy volunteers have begun attracting attention in Alzheimers research.
Our results indicate that diabetes promotes striatal oxidative stress, alters dopamine neurotransmission, and increases vulnerability to neurodegenerative damage leading to motor impairment. Iara PérezTaboadaet al., 2020. Movement Disorders
You can read about the latest news on the exenatide trials here:
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What Causes Parkinson’s And Is There A Cure
The causes of Parkinson’s are as yet unknown. Some poisons, mould toxins and synthetic medications, for example, can give rise to the condition. Additionally, there are some genes that can be a trigger if they become damaged. Extensive brain damage can also cause Parkinson’s symptoms.
Researchers have not yet been able to find a way to cure Parkinson’s or slow its progression, although this is an area of great research. However, with medication symptoms can be effectively controlled to improve your quality of life.
Common Signs Of Toxic Mold Poisoning
Symptoms and signs of mycotoxins poisoning are very different depending on many factors. How this poisoning presents itself depends on:
- Type of mycotoxin
- Genetic structure
- And others
This means there can be a major difference in symptoms between individuals in the population exposed to it. To some extent it is clear that mycotoxicosis can increase susceptibility to infections, worsen the effect of other toxins present and advance other health conditions.
Although acute poisoning is more obvious and sometimes has grave effects, chronic exposure is much more present in the population in general. Finally, mycotoxins can cause changes in immune, nervous system, behavior, mood and even development problems like stunting.
The other way that molds can affect your health is through allergy and IgE-mediated pathways. Mold can introduce multiple different types of antigens to your system. One of the main antigens involved is mold spores. Mold can lead to asthma, hypersensitivity reactions, and pulmonary inflammatory disease.
There are many different variants that could cause a patient to have one reaction compared to another. One of these factors is the human leukocyte antigen patterns. Another likely significant factor is the glutathione transferase genes. One study found that polymorphism in GSTP1 influenced illness and treatment after exposure to water-damaged buildings.
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The Origin Of The Study
A 2013 study found that household mold can trigger the symptoms of Parkinsons in some people. In fact, the lead author of the study was herself experiencing these symptoms.
In 2005, her house got in the way of Hurricane Katrina. The resulting flood damaged her home and lead to a mold infestation. Over time, she started feeling fatigue, nausea, and headaches, but couldnt quite explain the symptoms.
Parkinsonism Falls And Fracture Risk
All forms of parkinsonism, both PD and DIP, have implications for bone health. A 2014 meta-analysis on PD and fracture risk concludes that PD increases the risk of fracture.4
Given that the symptoms of parkinsonism affect balance, motor skills, gait, and the bodys ability to control movement, it is no surprise that people with PD are more likely to experience a fall than people without PD. Here is an excerpt from a 2016 study comparing the incidence of falls and fracture in PD patients:
It is estimated that 60.5% of patients with PD experience at least one fall and 39% have recurrent falls. The high frequency of falls consequently contributes to the increased risk for fractures in PD patients, which has been estimated to be approximately two times the risk in healthy controls. It has been estimated that 76% of falls in PD patients require health care services and 33% result in fractures. Falls and fractures may result in a series of unfavorable outcomes, such as disabilities and death. Furthermore, among PD patients with fractures, the mortality rate is approximately 10.6%.5
All too often, doctors prescribe these drugs without appropriate consideration of this risk. This excerpt from a study on DIP clarifies the danger of accepting a prescription of an unnecessary or inappropriate prescription drug:
Shockingly, the drugs that cause DIP are still being prescribed. This yet one more example further proving that the FDAs drug approval process is useless.
Synopsis
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Is There A Test That Can Be Carried Out To Confirm I Have Parkinson’s
Due to the complexity of the condition, there is no simple or accessible diagnostic test for Parkinsons, such as an X-ray or blood test. A clinical diagnosis is always required, which relies on an experts clinical assessment.
Parkinsons is difficult to diagnose because there is no specific test for the condition. Symptoms vary from person to person and a number of other illnesses have similar symptoms, which means misdiagnoses can occur, especially in the early stages when signs and symptoms are subtle. Therefore, the use of established diagnostic tools that detect the loss of dopamine in the brain may be useful and can help to reduce misdiagnosis. DaTSCAN is one such tool that has been shown to differentiate between Essential Tremor and Parkinsons in the majority of cases. It can identify a loss of dopamine a chemical known to be depleted in the brain of someone with Parkinsons – from those who have no loss.
Magnetic resonance imaging scans are rarely used for diagnosing Parkinsons since an MRI of a parkinsonian brain generally looks normal. But MRI can help to differentiate between Parkinsons and other types of parkinsonism, for example Multiple System Atrophy and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
See also Diagnosis.
Is Parkinson’s Hereditary Can Others In My Family Have A Test
Research shows that in most cases Parkinsons is not hereditary. There have been a few cases where a family reportedly had a hereditary form of the disease, but research shows, that even in identical twin studies, something else triggers this condition.
There are likely to be several genes that predispose an individual to developing Parkinson’s as well as environmental factors.
At present there is no genetic test available to determine if a person will develop the condition.
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Oxygen Shortage Might Be Associated With Mucormycosis Epidemic
According to Gangani, a shortage of oxygen tanks and delivery devices might have created another vector for mucormycosis contamination.
The biggest thing I have in my mind, why they are seeing so many mucormycosis cases is that in India there was severe shortage of oxygen, he said. So they had to pull in from wherever they get either oxygen tanks or cylinders and some of them were outdated and who knows those appliances or oxygen delivery systems were colonized .
What Is Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease occurs when the nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine are slowly destroyed.
Without dopamine, the nerve cells in that part of the brain cannot properly send messages.
It is a progressive disease of the nervous system marked by tremor, muscular rigidity and slow, imprecise movement.
Many people with Parkinson’s also suffer from depression, daytime sleepiness and difficulty swallowing.
There is no cure for the condition but there are some drug treatments which can be beneficial temporarily.
About one in 500 people develop Parkinson’s disease and there are currently 127,000 people in the UK with the condition.
The average age for the symptoms to develop is about 60, although one in 20 cases first develop in people under the age of 50.
Men are one and a half times more likely to get Parkinson’s than women.
White people are much more likely to get it than black and Asian people.
Studies indicate that the condition – a progressive disease of the nervous system marked by tremor, muscular rigidity and slow, imprecise movement – is increasing in rural areas, where its usually attributed to pesticide exposure.
But rural environments also have a lot of mould and mushroom exposure.
Our work suggests that 1-octen-3-ol might also be connected to the disease, particularly for people with a genetic susceptibility to it, Dr Inamdar said. Weve given the epidemiologists some new avenues to explore.
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What Were The Basic Results
Exposing wild Drosophila flies to low dose 1-octen-3-ol caused movement problems within the first 24 hours and 50% to die by 16.9 days. The control group all survived for at least 27 days, by which time the entire 1-octen-3-ol group had died.
In the second part of the study, exposure to 1-octen-3-ol reduced the number of all types of dopamine nerves except for one. This caused a reduction in dopamine levels of 28% compared to flies that were not exposed. It also increased the level of the waste product of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid by 40%.
In the human embryonic kidney cells, very low levels of 1-octen-3-ol did not have an effect, whereas low and higher levels caused a difficulty in transporting dopamine into the cells.
They found that overexpression of a different genetic neurotransporter cell in flies brains was protective against the effects of 1-octen-3-ol.
General Treatment Suggestions Gathered From The Web
Avoidance so that the body can detoxify itself and return to health. Avoidance works for some people and others need more help.
Cholestyramine New Uses for Old Products Cholestyramine is an old cholesterol reducing prescription medication that has been largely superseded by more newer, more effective meds which can bind to the mold toxins in the gut and remove them from the body. A well test medication its has side effects other than constipation and heartburn.
Other Detox Methods Limu -Muoi Modifilan, zeolite, saunas all employ different means of detoxificaiton. Dr Shoemaker reported he has not found success with charcoal, zeolite or herbal preparations. For more on these from a patients website,
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Do I Have Toxic Mold Poisoning
Last Updated on by Matt Pratt-Hyatt PhD
Home»Blog»Do I have Toxic Mold Poisoning?
Today Im going to deal with a common question, Do I have toxic mold poisoning? Another common question that is similar is Is mold really that serious, isnt mold everywhere? I will try and answer both of these questions. Most people are aware of mold because we see it every day.
There are literally thousands of species of mold, however, not every species produces toxic compounds. However, water damage is becoming more and more common, which is leading to more mold and mycotoxin production in homes, offices, and schools. However, even if the mold isnt producing toxins you might be reacting to the spores themselves.
Lets briefly talk about the two items you might be reacting to, what symptoms you might expect, and how to test to see if this is what is causing your problems.
The most serious problems caused by mold are caused by small molecules call mycotoxins, which are produced by mold when they feel threatened. Think of this like the ink an octopus produces or when a skunk sprays someone. For some mycotoxins, low levels are not problematic for most individuals.
These mycotoxins are found in low amounts in food. However, other mycotoxins such as the Trichothecenes are toxic in much smaller quantities, but only in water-damaged buildings, and they are much more toxic. Trichothecenes are produced by Stachybotrys, otherwise known as black mold.
Rutgers Researcher Joan Bennett’s Work Follows Her Own Illness Suffered While Cleaning Up Flood Damage From Hurricane Katrina
Scientists at Rutgers and Emory universities have discovered that a compound often emitted by mold may be linked to symptoms of Parkinsons disease.
Arati Inamdar and Joan Bennett, researchers in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers, used fruit flies to establish the connection between the compound popularly known as mushroom alcohol and the malfunction of two genes involved in the packaging and transport of dopamine, the chemical released by nerve cells to send messages to other nerve cells in the brain.
The findings were published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Parkinsons has been linked to exposure to environmental toxins, but the toxins were man-made chemicals, Inamdar said. In this paper, we show that biologic compounds have the potential to damage dopamine and cause Parkinsons symptoms.
For co-author Bennett, the research was more than academic. Bennett was working at Tulane University in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. Her flooded house became infested with molds, which she collected in samples, wearing a mask, gloves and protective gear.
Inamdar, who uses fruit flies in her research, and Bennett began their study shortly after Bennett arrived at Rutgers. Bennett wanted to understand the connection between molds and symptoms like those she had experienced following Katrina.
The study was funded by Rutgers and the National Institutes of Health.
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