Reference/Features

Understanding patients with Parkinson's disease

12 mins read Elderly care Systemic diseases
The nature of Parkinson's disease, and some of the medication used to treat the condition, may mean that some patients will experience some oral health problems. The article explores the problems, looks at why they happen, and what can be done to help

In 1817 Dr James Parkinson published ‘An Essay on the Shaking Palsy’. He described ‘paralysis agitans’, which then became established as a recognised medical condition. It was later named Parkinson's disease (PD) after him (Parkinson's UK, 2013a).

There is a stigma attached to PD. A survey in 2013 by YouGov, commissioned by Parkinson's UK, found that out of 4777 responses from people with PD and their families and friends, 43% (n=2054) had experienced discrimination or misunderstanding at least once a month because of their symptoms—ranging from being refused service in shops to being shouted at for using a disabled parking space (Parkinson's UK, 2013b).

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