Organize the Center for Empowerment and Care of the Elderly "Ihsan"In cooperation with the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, an awareness lecture on a disease "Parkinson’s"For the center’s employees and its members of the elderly, on the occasion of World Parkinson’s Disease Day.
The lecture, presented by Dr. Simona Ghanem and Professor Elham Abdi from the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, dealt with the definition of disease "Parkinson’s" And its symptoms, causes and stages, where specialists defined it as "A neurodegenerative disorder predominantly affecting dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of ​​the brain called the substantia nigra".
The lecture stressed the need for the person to recognize the onset of the symptoms of this disease, which may develop over a period of years, and often the development of symptoms differs from one person to another due to the diversity of the disease, in addition to the symptoms associated with movement. The lecture showed that the causes of Parkinson’s disease are still unknown, and doctors believe that the cause is a combination of genetic and environmental factors, while the stages of this disease are summarized in the initial stage in which the person suffers from mild symptoms that do not generally interfere with daily activities, tremor and movement symptoms occur. The other symptoms are on one side of the body only, as well as changes in standing, walking, and facial expressions, while the symptoms in the second stage begin to worsen, as tremor, rigidity, and other movement symptoms affect both sides of the body or the midline, and problems with walking and poor body posture may be evident, and the person can To live alone, but daily tasks are more difficult and longer.
As for the third stage, weight loss is the most prominent feature, and the motor symptoms continue to worsen functionally, and the person is somewhat restricted in his daily activities, but he is still physically able to live an independent life, and the disability in this stage is mild to moderate.
The patient’s condition develops in the fourth stage and reaches severe disability, while the patient in this stage can walk and stand without assistance, but he may need to move around using a cane or a walker for safety, and he also needs great assistance in the activities of daily life. The fifth and final stage is In the most advanced and debilitating stage, stiff legs may make it impossible to stand or walk. Patients are bedridden or wheelchair-bound unless assisted. Round-the-clock care is required for all activities.
In this context, Mrs. Zainab Al-Kuwari, Head of the Preparation and Design Department at the Center, explained "Ihsan"that the world celebrates annually, on the eleventh of April, the International Parkinson’s Disease Day, indicating that this year’s celebration came under the slogan (Living with Parkinson’s disease .. I am still you).
She indicated that the center cooperation "Ihsan" With the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, it came to support the institute’s efforts in raising awareness of this disease and ways to deal with the elderly who suffer from it, as Parkinson’s disease is one of the health challenges that affect the elderly in particular, and it affects more than 10 million people in the world, so cooperation took place between the two parties by publishing 6 awareness messages on social media platforms, to educate all members of society, in addition to holding an awareness lecture for Ihsan Center employees and field training students at the center.
Al-Kuwari stressed that this cooperation is not the first between Ihsan Center and the Institute, but rather an extension of previous cooperation between the two parties with the aim of raising awareness of community members and the elderly on the most important topics of common interest between the two parties in the field of the elderly. For her part, Dr. Simona Ghanem from the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute of Hamad Bin Khalifa University said: Parkinson’s disease negatively affects the life of the patient and his family members, expressing her hope to reach an effective stage of innovation and the development of early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, which contributes to to provide better treatment.
Read the Latest World News Today on The Eastern Herald.
