INDIVIDUALS WITH H-D CHOREA AND THEIR CAREGIVERS CONSISTENTLY DISPLAY REMARKABLE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF SUCH TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES.

JOINING US TODAY TO SHED LIGHT ON THIS DISEASE AND A NEW TREATMENT FOR HD CHOREA SYMPTOMS IS DR. ERIN FURR-STIMMING [FUR-STEM-ING], AN EXPERT IN THE FIELD, ALONG WITH KATIE JACKSON, WHO ADVOCATES FOR THOSE WITH H-D.

GUEST BIO

Dr. Erin Furr Stimming Bio

Dr. Erin Furr Stimming joined the Neurology faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2007 after completing her internship, residency and fellowship at McGovern Medical School-UTHealth. Her clinical expertise is evaluating and treating patients with Huntington’s disease (HD), Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonian syndromes, focal and generalized dystonia, essential tremor and spasticity.

From 2011-2017, Dr. Furr Stimming she served as Chief of Neurology at Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Hospital. In 2016, she was awarded 1 of 39 designated Level 2 Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Centers of Excellence in the country and the only one in Texas. She has focused her clinical efforts on helping those with this devastating neurological disorder and raising awareness through education. She is currently a Professor and Director of the Neurology Clerkship Program.

#huntington’sdisease #huntingtonsdisease #huntingtondisease #hdyo #hsg #hdsa

The post THE IMPACT OF HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE (H-D) CANNOT BE UNDERESTIMATED. appeared first on Good News!.

Jeff, a patient living with Parkinson’s Disease also speaks to us.

April is National Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month
New Advances In Technology can Help Those with Parkinson’s

Every single year, approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement.

Many Parkinson’s disease symptoms involve losing the ability to control your muscles and movement, making daily activities like performing at work, writing and even getting dressed difficult or even impossible. This loss of movement control and reliance on others can make people feel as though they are missing out on important aspects of life and relationships with spouses, family and friends.

When Parkinson’s medications still work but become less effective, deep brain stimulation therapy, or DBS Therapy, is a treatment option to help control some of the movement symptoms of Parkinson’s like shaking, slowed movement and stiffness.

DBS Therapy uses a small pacemaker-like device, placed under the skin of the chest, to send electrical signals through very thin wires to an area in the brain that controls movement. To provide relief, these signals block some of the brain messages that cause the movement symptoms of Parkinson’s.

For many people with Parkinson’s, DBS can offer a new lease on life, allowing them to live more independently and pursue their passions, whatever they may be.

Interview courtesy: Medtronic

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April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Parkinson’s, which is characterized by a loss of certain nerve cells in the brain that regulate functions like motor control, affects about one million people in the U.S. and millions more globally. It is the second most common progressive neurological disorder and research shows prevalence in the U.S. is increasing.

Parkinson’s symptoms can be challenging to diagnose. And even once diagnosed and put on baseline Parkinson’s treatment, many people with Parkinson’s experience a return of their symptoms between doses, bringing a new meaning to “feeling off.”

For these people, these fluctuations between periods when symptoms are controlled – known as ON periods – and periods when symptoms return – known as OFF periods or OFF episodes, can be very disruptive. During OFF periods, people with Parkinson’s are left with restricted or uncontrolled movement, reducing their mobility. A 2014 survey of more than 3,000 people with Parkinson’s conducted by The Michael J. Fox Foundation found that nearly two-thirds of participants reported having more than two hours of OFF time per day.

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, so it’s the perfect time to learn more about the condition, including the importance of speaking up and having effective conversations with your doctor.

Today, treatment options exist for people with Parkinson’s who experience OFF periods, including Bob Harmon, who was diagnosed 13 years ago. On March 27, 2019, Bob will share his personal story, including his participation in a clinical trial for one of these treatments, which was recently approved by the FDA. He will be joined by his neurologist, Dr. Robert Hauser, Director at Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center in Tampa, who can discuss the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and OFF periods, as well as ways to help manage them.

Bob and Dr. Hauser can also explain why it’s important to speak up about how you are feeling and get involved with efforts that may help others and yourself if you are living with a health condition.

When you book a window, we’ll provide you with guest bio & suggested questions.

Interview is courtesy: Acorda Therapeutics

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