Word Power!

Increase Your Vocabulary!

Impress Your Friends!

 

Wasn’t Word Power one of the sections in Reader’s Digest?

You’d think I’d remember something like this because, growing up, the bathroom was piled with copies of the Reader’s Digest. Most of the pages were slightly warped and wrinkled from the steamy setting but each copy was well-read…especially the joke sections.

Dad loved a good Reader’s Digest joke.

But lately, I’ve been thinking about that Word Power section. It has been one year since my Parkinson’s diagnosis and since that time, I have learned more new words than I ever wanted to know.

So here’s your chance to wow your friends with random words associated with Parkinson’s Disease.

Adhesive Capsulitis: also known as frozen shoulder, is a condition characterized by pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint, limiting range of motion. It can be an early symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) or occur due to other factors associated with PD progression, such as rigidity and decreased movement. 

Anhedonia: anhedonia is the lack of interest, enjoyment or pleasure from life’s experiences. You may not want to spend time with others or do activities that previously made you happy often caused by lack of dopamine. 

Bradykinesia: meaning “slowness of movement,” is a hallmark symptom of Parkinson’s disease. It manifests as difficulty initiating and executing movements, causing tasks like buttoning a shirt, getting out of a chair, or turning over in bed to become challenging. Bradykinesia can also affect automatic movements like blinking and arm swing while walking.

Carbidopa-Levodopa: (kar bi DOE pa; lee voe DOE pa) treats the symptoms of Parkinson disease. It works by increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain, a substance which helps manage body movements and coordination.

Cogwheeling: A snapping or clicking sound in muscles, also known as cogwheel rigidity, is a type of muscle stiffness characterized by a ratchet-like, jerky movement felt when a limb is passively moved by another person. It’s a common symptom in Parkinson’s disease, particularly when the affected limb is also experiencing tremor.

Dopamine: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and hormone that plays a key role in the brain’s reward system, motivation, and movement. It’s often associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction, but also contributes to wanting, attention, and learning. Dopamine is involved in various bodily functions, including mood regulation, sleep, and even immune responses.

Dyskinesia: Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s disease (PD) refers to involuntary, uncontrolled movements that can occur as a side effect of levodopa (see above) a common medication used to treat Parkinson’s. These movements can manifest as fidgeting, writhing, or swaying, and are distinct from the tremors and stiffness that are primary symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Fatigue: Fatigue is a common and often debilitating non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease. This fatigue is distinct from typical tiredness and can significantly impact daily life, affecting physical and mental well-being. It can manifest as a deep, pervasive weariness that doesn’t improve with rest and can hinder concentration and motivation. It is often described as the sort of exhaustion that makes it feel impossible to move, as though one has no energy at all. Patients report a deep physical weariness that’s different from sleepiness.

Hypophonia: a quiet voice is a common symptom caused by the disease’s impact on the muscles involved in speech. This can manifest as a reduced volume, monotone pitch, and breathy or hoarse quality to the voice. People with Parkinson’s may feel they are speaking at a normal volume, but others perceive it as too soft or even inaudible. 

Hypomimia:  also known as facial masking, hypomimia is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease characterized by reduced facial expressions and a mask-like appearance. This occurs due to the disease’s impact on facial muscles, making it difficult for individuals with Parkinson’s to express emotions, thoughts, and intentions. It can lead to misinterpretations and social challenges.

Hyposmia/Anosmia: a reduced sense of smell, is a common early symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and can precede the onset of motor symptoms by several years. It is estimated that around 90% of early-stage Parkinson’s patients experience hyposmia. A reduced ability to smell, or even a complete loss of smell, can be an early indicator of Parkinson’s. Individuals may notice they can’t smell certain foods or other strong odours. 

Micrographia:  characterized by small, cramped handwriting, is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease. It can manifest as a consistent reduction in letter size or as a progressive decrease in size as the person writes.

Musculoskeletal Pain: is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD), affecting a large percentage of individuals with the condition. This pain can manifest in various forms, including muscle aches, joint pain, and bone pain, and is often linked to the disease’s impact on the musculoskeletal system. 

Nausea: Nausea is a common symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD), stemming from both the disease itself and its treatments. It can be a side effect of dopaminergic medications like levodopa, and can also arise from impaired stomach emptying (gastroparesis) or issues with the enteric nervous system.

Periphereal Neuropathy: Numbness in Parkinson’s disease is often related to peripheral neuropathy, a condition where nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged or dysfunctional. This can cause a range of sensory disturbances, including numbness, tingling, and pain. While not a primary motor symptom of Parkinson’s, peripheral neuropathy is more common in people with Parkinson’s than in the general population. Possible factors include aging, diabetes (which is more common in people with Parkinson’s), and potential side effects of medications used to treat Parkinson’s, like levodopa (see above). 

RBD: REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder in which you yell, scream, or physically act out your dreams unknowingly while you’re asleep. 

RLS: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a movement condition that causes a strong urge to move your legs when you’re resting. You may also feel sensations like itching, pulling, crawling or throbbing. 

Substantia Nigra: In Parkinson’s disease, a key factor is the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, specifically in a region called the substantia nigra. This loss leads to a decrease in dopamine levels, which are crucial for controlling movement, muscle control, and balance. The reduced dopamine disrupts the normal communication between brain cells, causing the characteristic motor symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as tremors, rigidity, and slow movements.

Tremors: Besides the hands, tremors can occur in the jaw, lips, legs, and even internally (as an internal shaking or electrical sensation).

Please note that some of the crappier PD symptoms are actually a side effect of levodopa...the very medication that I, and almost every other person with Parkinson’s, uses to deal with all the other symptoms. All those crazy jerking movements you see with Michael J. Fox?  Those are side effects of our prescribed drug of choice. Dyskinesia does not happen to everyone taking levodopa…several factors can increase the likelihood of developing dyskinesia while taking levodopa:

The irony is rich, non? Three times each day, when I swallow two more of those levodopa pills, I wonder…when/if the dyskinesia will hit.  But seriously, it’s either take the pills and walk or not take the pills and grind to a staggering halt.

Is it shit or Shinola? Sometimes that’s hard to decide. But surely I digress…

 

 

It’s the age-old damned if you do, damned if you don’t…except in this instance, I know the benefits (thus far) outweigh the potential possibility of dyskinesia.

This is not a complete listing of all my new words, but it’s a good start. I don’t want to overwhelm you with too many crazy pronunciations.

Thank you for joining me on this Word Power quest.

My dad would be proud of you…but more than likely, he’d tell you a good clean Reader’s Digest joke.

Maybe next time…