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How To Cope With The Challenges of Young Onset Parkinson's Disease

From , former About.com Guide

Created: August 20, 2009

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Several hundred thousand people worldwide suffer from young onset Parkinson’s disease. While some authorities claim that these individuals face a decades-long battle with the symptoms of PD, the pace of innovation in PD treatments and PD care may be being underestimated.

A glance at the history of the development of new treatments for PD reveals rapid innovation that's in sync with advances in the science of PD. In fact, it appears now that new treatments for PD are emerging literally each month. So, while a diagnosis of young onset PD does indeed signal significant challenges ahead, it is not as if no significant medical help will be available to face those challenges.

What Are the Challenges of Young Onset Parkinson's?

If you've been diagnosed with young onset PD, the challenges you'll face involve (at a minimum) the setting up of a support team that can assist you in the creation of a medical, financial and emotional support plan that can work for years to come. Though it may be daunting to read, you need to stay as functional as possible for as long as possible. You need to have plenty of insurance to cover special costs and you need to educate yourself quickly on young onset PD and the available treatments for the same. Then, with the help of your support team, you need to avail yourself of those medical treatments.

Begin therefore with putting together the best support team you can and then start planning!

Sources:

http://www.yopa.org/home.html

http://www.youngparkinsons.org/

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