If there is someone in your family with a neurodegenerative disorder, it is natural to ask yourself if there is a chance of inheriting the disorder. Moreover, the patient himself is worried whether this could happen to his close relatives. Thus, the question of whether Parkinson's disease is hereditary is often asked by many patients.
It is not yet possible to speak unequivocally about the heredity of Parkinson's disease. Scientists insist on the low probability that the child will have the same as his mother or father, since there are very few proven genetic cases.
According to some research, Parkinson's disease in 20% of cases has genetic causes (hereditary predisposition and mutations). To date, almost 20 genetic forms of the disease are known. Some of these forms are dominant. That is, if such a gene is passed on to a child from one of the parents, the child will definitely get sick. The rest of the forms are recessive, which means the following: a person will get sick only if he gets the genes from both dad and mom.
But what about the other 80%? If heredity is not the predominant cause of this disease, what are the others?
So far, no complete list of causes of Parkinson's disease has been identified. However, in addition to the already mentioned hereditary factor, it is possible to mention other factors that can trigger the development of this disease, such as:
- physiological aging of the body, in which case there is a natural decrease in the number of neurons that are responsible for the production of the dopamine neurotransmitter;
- long-term residence near highways, operating enterprises or near railways;
- deficiency of vitamin D, obtained from the effects of ultraviolet rays on our body, and also protecting the structural cells of our brain from destruction;
- intoxication of the body with chemicals (eg ethanol, carbon monoxide, industrial alcohol, etc.);
- cases of neuroinfections (eg encephalitis);
- tumors and frequent brain injuries.
The fact that heredity has a role to play in Parkenson's disease is not a myth. Behind it, people avoid seeing the real danger, namely the environment in which we live.
Thanks to the intensive development of agriculture in the 20th century, many toxic substances such as pesticides and insecticides have come into use. Many people did not quite correctly follow the safety precautions when working with toxic substances, moreover, these substances were sprayed over fields in large volumes. All this ultimately influenced the epidemiology of the disease among the rural and farming population, in particular in the United States.
How to prevent Parkinson's disease, doctors do not yet know, but some studies show that people who regularly do aerobic exercise and consume caffeine are less likely to get sick.
Here are some tips that I find helpful in reducing the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
- Timely identify and treat vascular pathologies of the brain, which may appear due to injuries or previous infections.
- Include in your diet a large amount of apples and citrus, as these fruits contain substances that can protect the neurons of the brain from damage.
- Try to avoid stressful situations, maintain a healthy lifestyle, do physical exercise.
- In the absence of contraindications, coffee can be consumed daily in small portions.
- I recommend expanding your diet with foods rich in B vitamins and fiber.
- Avoid the contact with chemicals such as carbon monoxide manganese etc., as they have a strong effect on the development of the disease.
What I want to emphasize towards the end of this article is to seek medical advice if there are signs of illness or any doubt that something is wrong.
What is certain is that the hereditary factor does not depend on us. What about the environment polluted by toxic substances?
Think about it.