Throughout April this month, Our WEEKEND VIEW section will be featuring some of the latest facts about Parkinson's disease (PD).
This will prove a wonderful opportunity for everyone who have always wanted to know about the disease, but didn't know who to turn to.
We welcome the sharing of personal stories and even questions about PD in our Blog Comments section.
We start with Wheel Power from the Star last week that kicked off the first article on the condition by a local expert on the disease:
The date is the birthday of an English physician in the 19th century called Dr James Parkinson who most famously described on the disease. Many events will no doubt be taking place to bring awareness about this insidious disease of the nervous system that causes the muscles to become stiff and the body to shake, and which gradually gets worse as the person gets older.
But the all-important question is – is enough being done to make a difference for people with Parkinson’s (PwP) and their caregivers?
To find out the answer Wheel Power recently spoke to Associate Professor Dr Norlinah Mohamed Ibrahim (right), Head of the Neurology Unit at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (PPUKM) in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The consultant neurologist who specialises in PD and movement disorders and Deputy Head of the Department of Medicine at PPUKM provided some interesting insights and food for thought into the treatment and care for PwP in the country.
Dr Norlinah says that what matters now in the fight against PD is to check on the progress that we have made in understanding the condition.
“Recent scientific advances have shown that PD is a more complex condition than was originally thought,” she points out.
“Previously thought to only affect mobility and movement, we now know that non-movement problems (non-motor) problems also predominate,” explains Dr Norlinah.
Constipation, depression and anxiety may even predate PD.
While therapy has been previously geared towards treating the motor or movement problems alone, research have shown that quality of life is also dependent on the successful treatment of the non-motor aspects as well.
Dr Norlinah strongly believes that despite advances in the understanding of the disease, “what is important is how PwP’s and their caregivers are being helped with all the advances.”
The global declaration of the WPD, for example, consists of the following five rights of PwP:
1: See or be referred to a doctor with a special interest in PD.
2: An accurate diagnosis
3: Access to support services
4: Receive continuous care
5: Take part in the management of their illness
Dr Norlinah points out that access to the most appropriate neurologist may be more possible for patients living in major cities in the country than in rural areas where experts are not easily available.
“Places like East Malaysia for instance where finance and access to such services can be a problem,” she says.
“The lack of neurologists in the country is one thing; trying to get an expert with a special interest in PD makes the situation even more complicated.
“It is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 to 15,000 patients with PD in Malaysia. The number is expected to double in the next 30 years, especially with the increase in the number of ageing population in the country by the year 2040.”
Dr Norlinah gave an example of a patient who came to her whose diagnosis of PD was missed by another neurologist.
The patient couldn’t understand why the movements on one side of his body were becoming increasingly difficult and slow.
He was told that he had a stroke. The more he questioned the neurologist, the more he was labelled as being too anxious.
He was advised in the end to accept his diagnosis of stroke.
“As a result, the patient went through a lot of anguish and pain, as he couldn’t perform his work effectively until he was advised to go for optional retirement by his employer.
“By the time a proper diagnosis of PD was made and treatment commenced, it was too late. His career just went downhill together with his health.”
Dr Norlinah also pointed out cases of patients who were wrongly diagnosed with PD, a situation that can happen because of the many conditions that mimic the clinical features of Parkinson’s.
“This is why PwP must have access to the best medical care, especially in the early stages, so that accurate diagnosis can be established,” she stresses.
But is this realistically achievable in Malaysia?
In order for that to happen, Dr Norlinah suggests the following measures:
- An effective referral system between general practitioners and neurologists is required. All patients suspected to have PD should be referred to a neurologist to ensure that correct diagnosis is given. Once a diagnosis is established, the patient could be co-managed with a GP and guided periodically by the neurologist.
- More training for neurologists and physicians in Parkinson’s diagnosis and treatment. This will help cut the long waiting lists and travelling distances for those in rural areas.
- More public awareness of the signs and symptoms of PD is also important to ensure that patients come for treatment early on with the disease.
The End
PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).
Our contents are ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly.
PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then is 35,000 hits and counting.
PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily.
Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE.
You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
No comments:
Post a Comment