There are steps you can take for each symptom of Parkinson ’s that will improve your ability to lead a quality life living with Parkinson’s Disease. In this section we have addressed a group of proven ideas and attitudes that can help. You can take the steps by yourself, with a caregiver, a support group and / or with medical professionals.

• Educate yourself!  You need to be proactive about what is happening to your body and with your disease.  Learn as much as you can about medications, therapies and resources to help you manage your disease.

• Exercise, daily!  This is the single most important way to slow the progression of Parkinson’s.  The medications that are currently available only impact symptoms.  They do nothing to slow the progression.   There are many different forms of exercise.  It is important to find an exercise program that you will be able to maintain.  Strength training and weight bearing exercise is great for bone health, aerobic exercise strengthening the heart and lungs. T’ai Chi, Yoga and Rock Steady Boxing, Dance for Parkinson’s, improve balance and coordination.

• If you are having issues with depression or anxiety, talk with your caregiver, others who have Parkinson’s, and/or your physician.  There are ways to deal with these conditions, with medications, increasing activity level, therapist, and // or making sure that you have social outlets, etc.

• Apathy is a serious problem.  It can be helped through establishing a routine schedule of things that you do each day.  Someone with Parkinson’s can appear apathetic because of lack of facial expression, so it is sometimes difficult to deduce whether or not the person is actually suffering from apathy. Establish daily routines that help to fight against apathy.  Continue to be as social as possible.   Isolation is very unhealthy.  It is important to try to maintain social connections with friends and family.

• Join a support group.  Many people are reluctant to take this step and they are afraid to see people further along in the disease process than they are.  The positives of being with a group of people who understand what is happening far outweigh the negatives.

• Hydration is important.  Proper hydration impacts the entire body, and in particular, will help with constipation, blood pressure regulation and metabolizing medications.

• Visual Problems: Vision problems can be helped with prism glasses that allow for better focus enabling a person with Parkinson ’s to read more easily.   Vision problems can become an issue for driving safely.  Anyone who has Parkinson’s and is still driving needs to be checked to make certain they are still safe.
• Allusions differ from hallucinations in that a person with Parkinson’s Disease may see an object such as a bug on a rug that isn’t there.  When they go to pick it up, they realize that it isn’t there.  Whereas with a hallucination, the person will continue see the object or the person that / who isn’t there. Speak with your neurologist if this is happening with more regularity.

• Contrast sensitivity should be tested to make certain that the person has not lost the ability to see properly at night.  Bumping into walls, or having difficulty with angles, or stepping off a curb and tripping or falling can also be signs that there are changes to visual perception or spatial vision.  Seeing a Neuropthalmologist can be quite helpful to anyone with Parkinson’s Disease.

• Routine dermatology visits are needed because having Parkinson’s Disease can leave one more susceptible to melanoma.  The disease itself, not medications, brings about this susceptibility.

• Bone density checks, Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplements.  Some people with Parkinson’s will develop osteoporosis as a result of the disease.  This can potentially lead to hip fractures or a stress fracture of the spine that can lead potentially to death.

• Recognizing impulsive behaviors before they ruin your life.  People with Parkinson’s whether it is a result of the disease or agonist medications that they are taking can lead to impulse buying, gambling, watching pornography, etc. 

• Dietary ways to help your quality of life are to make certain to get plenty of fluids and fiber.  Eating a Mediterranean Diet is helpful not only to your disease, but also your heart.  Scheduling your meals around your medications so that they have enough time to begin functioning is important.

• If sexual function has diminished or if your spouse now your care partner is having trouble seeing themselves as anything other than a nurse, may impact intimacy. A marriage counselor may help. There can be physical issues that need to be addressed.

• Pain without any determinant cause.  40% to 75% of people with Parkinson’s have pain.  It is important to determine the underlying issue.  Sometimes it is because muscles need more stretching. 

• For a person with Parkinson’s Disease being prepared before going into the hospital is important. It is critical that you will get your meds on time, a simple thing that can become very complicated in a hospital. The hospital will need a complete list of all medications you are taking showing the dosage and time to take them.  It is important to know who your doctor is, and does that doctor has any idea of the impact of surgery, anesthesia, any antibiotics that may be necessary as a result of the hospitalization, on Parkinson’s and the drugs that you take.

• Be proactive about neurology appointments.  This is especially important if you do not have a movement disorder specialist neurologist.  In this state, there are only three, so most Parkinson’s patients are seeing a neurologist who does not specialize in their disease.  Make a log of anything new that happens from visit to visit.  Notice and notate any changes either felt or seen with your disease.  Allow a care partner to help with a log and make observations.  Document any changes in response to medication. Have someone accompany you to a doctor’s appointment.  It is difficult, sometimes, to remember or possibly express all of the issues that should be addressed.

• If possible, participate in Parkinson’s conferences.  You may learn new information or a review of things that you may already know in a comprehensive learning environment.  You are able to network with other people and to meet physicians who are involved with your disease.

• Clinical trials are another way to be involved with Parkinson’s Disease.  There are a number of things to find out before agreeing to being involved.  Location, length of time and any expenses involved in participation.  Once committed to a trial, it is important to stay the course for the trial to then produce valid information.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT NO ONE WILL HAVE EVERY SYMPTOM OF PARKINSON’S!   YOU ARE NOT ALONE! WE DEPEND ON EACH OTHER FOR SUPPORT AND INFORMATION.