Revealing the Faces and Voices of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's is currently the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the United States—1 million people have it; 90,000 more are diagnosed every year. And it’s working its way to No. 1. Yet few know Parkinson's is a disease any of us—any person of any gender, race, ethnicity, or age—can get.

And many who have Parkinson's already keep its existence to themselves. Stigma, shame, and embarrassment add to the burden of other symptoms. 

“I keep hearing the story over and over, how they’re in hiding,” says neurologist Hiral Shah, MD, of patients and other people she meets as medical director of the Parkinson Foundation’s Center of Excellence at Columbia University.

She mentions young men and women afraid to talk about it at work because they don't want to lose their jobs. Athletes and professionals who don’t want to lose their status among peers, clients, or patients. People who don’t yet know what impact Parkinson’s will have on their well-being and do not wish to encumber other members of their family. [read more]

Source: CUIMC Newsroom