Parkinson's

Parkinson's is a disease of the Central Nervous System in which the motor function of the body starts getting affected in the initial stage and the non motor functions start deteriorating at a later stage. The first symptoms of Parkinson's are involuntary shaking of the hands, difficulty in walking, stiffness in the body, slowness of movements. At a later stage dementia, sleep disorders, anxiety which are non motor functions start getting affected.

The exact cause of Parkinson's is not known but it is definitely caused by genetic factors and environmental conditions. Parkinson's disease mostly occur in patients above the age of 60 and strange as it may sound but people who consume tobacco or drink tea, coffee are less likely to get Parkinson's as compared to others.

There is no short term cure for Parkinson's disease but certain medications, surgery, physiotherapy and some alternative therapies are known to have slowed the progression of the disease and even treat it. The medicine for Parkinson's will have effect in the early stage but would slowly lose that effect as the disease progresses. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery is one of the most advanced and best treatment available for parkinson's in India. Physical Therapy along with medication has shown good results in slowing the progression of the disease.

Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is progressive loss of memory. In this disease the brain cells get damaged and die and person starts forgetting things, events, conversations etc. Alzheimer's is a disease of old age and mostly people above the age of 60 years get affected by the disease. There are several reasons for dementia and Alzheimer's is one of the most common reason for dementia.

Damage to the brain cells can be prevented by adopting a good lifestyle. Regular exercise, staying fit, avoiding smoking, healthy diet, good sleep, meditation, dancing, singing, yoga etc are some of the activities which can help in keeping this dreaded disease at bay for a long time. Reading books and keeping abreast of the developments around you will also keep the brain cells active and prevent rapid damage. Good Sleep and destressing activities help repair the damaged brain cells and should be a part of your daily routine.

Though there is no definitive treatment for Alzheimer's disease, some medications can help in slowing the progression of the disease. Other supporting measures like creating conducive environment help a patient who is battling Alzheimer's.

Best Doctors and Cost

Dr Jaspreet Singh Randhawa is one of the best trained and highly qualified neurosurgeon for treating Parkinson's and Alzheimer's at Medisyn - Neuro and Gynae Centre, Kharar and Ivy Hospital, Mohali in Punjab. The treatment is mostly conservative, physiotherapy, active lifestyle, medications and rarely surgery. Deep Brain Stimulation surgery is done in some cases of Parkinson's and has shown good results. Ivy hospital, Mohali in Punjab has the latest microscopes and highly advanced surgical instruments to perform brain and spine surgeries with high level of precision. Apart from microscopes it also has complete set up for a stero tactic brain surgery like Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Parkinson's. The hospital stay is 5-7 days and the patient is called to the hospital for removal of stitches 15 days after the surgery. If you have an individual health insurance policy then this surgery is covered after a period of 2 years from the date of inception of the policy. However if you are a beneficiary of company given policy then the surgery is covered from day one. Always go through the terms of your health insurance policy like room rent capping and co-payment to avoid any kind of financial shocks later on.