World Parkinson's Day 2023: Date, History, Significance, and Facts

Parkinson's disease is still an undetermined condition in India, it has no cure. Know more on World Parkinson's Day

World Parkinson's Day 2023

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World Parkinson’s Day 2023: According to the US NIH, Parkinson's disease is a progressive central nervous system disorder that mainly affects the motor system, a part of the central nervous system that is involved in movement. This condition affected nearly 6.2 million people globally resulting in 117,200 deaths in the year 2015.

Parkinson' disease is a global event observed on 11 April every year with an aim to raise awareness about the economic, social and cultural impact brought by Parkinson’s disease and how the acceptance, support and the inclusion of the patients suffering from the ailment can help reduce their suffering.

The common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity that affect at least 60 lakh individuals worldwide. The sufferers of Parkinson’s disease also suffer from emotional and communicative challenges, struggling to acknowledge the verbal and nonverbal emotional cues.

Let's know about the history, significance, and facts about the disease on the occasion of World Parkinson’s Disease Day 2023.

World Parkinson’s Day 2023: Significance

Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, the prevalence of the disease is still undetermined in India due to the lack of scientific literature. As per the estimates, 10 lakh people over the age of 60 are affected by the ailment.

The day helps raise awareness about Parkinson's disease, a progressive nervous system disorder. Common people don't realise but living with Parkinson's is tougher than people can imagine and we need to help the patients understand that their weakness does not define them they can still do amazing things in spite of Parkinson’s. 

People need to understand that Parkinson’s is different for everyone depending on their symptoms, different experiences. There’s currently no cure for the disease and the diagnosis is also quite tough.

World Parkinson’s Day 2023: History

World Parkinson’s Day  marks the birth anniversary of Dr James Parkinson (1755 – 1824), the first person to identify Parkinsonism as a medical condition and he published an article ‘An Essay on the Shaking Palsy’ in 1817.

It was in 1997, the first World Parkinsonian’s Day event was organized and the Parkinson's Europe Charter was introduced. The aim was to provide the Parkinson's disease patients, their families, and health care professionals a way to work together to raise awareness about the disease. Later various imminent and influential people and policy makers from all over the world joined hands with the Charter.

The WHO established the Working Group on Parkinson's Disease in May 1997 and created the first Global Declaration on Parkinson's Disease in Mumbai, in December 2003, with an aim to encourage a shift in attitude toward Parkinson's. The Red Tulip was adopted as the official symbol for the disease in the 9th World Parkinsonian’s Day conference in 2005. 

World Parkinson’s Day 2023: Facts About the Disease

• Parkinson's disease is treatable but there is no cure for it. Therapies can only slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.

• Parkinson’s disease is not fatal and the number of years you may be alive depends on the type of Parkinson's you have.

• The Disease Is Unique in Every Person and common symptoms include tremors, loss of balance, and uncontrollable movements.

• Parkinson’s disease may even cause symptoms that have nothing to do with motor function like disturbed sleep, dementia, difficulting in swallowing, low blood pressure, loss of control over bladder, feeling sad or disinterested.

• Exercise can help manage Parkinson's disease since it affects the release and production of certain brain chemicals that helps drive the benefits in slowing the progression of the disease.

• Depression is the most common mental health issue in people with Parkinson’s disease.

• Not patient of Parkinson’s disease experiences Tremors. 30% of people diagnosed with the disease will not experience any tremors.