If you notice that in your arms and legs, get a blood test
This could be a sign of a rare but fatal disease.
Movement disorders are a group of neurological conditions that can cause atypical movements, as well as other symptoms. One of the most famous movement disorders isParkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. However, around 30 other conditions - including essential tremor, Huntington's disease, Wilson's disease and dystonia - are also considered to be movement disorders. Although rarer and less often discussed, they meet to constitute the vast majority of cases of movement disorders. While as estimated42 million Americans Currently live with a movement disorder, justone million of these cases are diagnosed as Parkinson's disease.
Now experts draw attention to a symptom closely linked to one of these rarer conditions. They say that if you notice this particular symptom in your arms and legs - or even in your face, your doctor may be able to follow a blood test to distinguish this condition and several other movement disorders with characteristics that overlap. Read to learn why this symptom is considered a major red flag and what to expect when your doctor works towards a diagnosis.
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Movement disorders can be difficult to diagnose.
Because so many movement disorders share symptoms and because these symptoms often start subtly and aggravate over time, they can be difficult to diagnose. To further complicate things, some of the most famous movement disorders cannot be diagnosed according to a single test or the presence of a symptom.
For example, ifParkinson's disease is suspected, a neurologist must assess the symptoms and medical history and carry out a neurological and physical examination. It is possible to meet the criteria of a diagnosis of Parkinson if another movement disorder is effectively to blame.
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The erroneous diagnostic rates are high.
This lack of sufficient diagnostic tests results in a high rate of misdiagnosis inmovement disorders. In fact, a 2006 study published inJama Neurology noted that one in three subjects presenting with tremor waspoorly diagnosed as having an essential tremor, when their real diagnosis was Parkinson's disease.
"Because there isNo screening or conclusive testPatients with very early Parkinson disease do not meet clinical diagnostic criteria. On the turning side, this lack of specificity means that you could be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, only to know later that you have a different condition according to which Mimics Parkinson's "Write JOHNS HOPKINS experts, who were not associated to theJama study.
For this reason, your doctor should exclude movement disorders thatcan Be riddled with a blood test and other diagnostic tests to get closer to a conclusive diagnosis.
If you notice this symptom in your arms and legs, get a blood test.
A particular movement of movement whichcan beconfirmed with a blood test is Huntington's disease, a rare and progressive brain disorder that affects the skills of movement, mood and thought. Experts warn that if you feel the chorea, a symptom characterized by an involuntary jerky movement in the arms, legs or face, it's a good idea to ask for a projection. According to the association of Alzheimer, this movement of involuntary member is among the mostcommon signs of Huntington's disease,AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder and can be inherited from a single parent. The diagnostic blood test is particularly important if you have symptoms and do not have a complete family medical history at your disposal.
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These are the other known signs of Huntington's disease.
Those with incomplete family history can also search for additional signs of Huntington's disease that can help distinguish it fromOther movement disorders.
The Mayo clinic notes that Huntington patients are usually present withThree main types of symptoms : Physics, cognitive and psychiatric. Those who affect physical movements include muscular problems, slow eye movements, altered approach and discourse difficulties. Those who affect cognitive ability include lack of impulsive control, slowness in language processing, learning difficulties, lack of flexibility and the difficulty of focusing on tasks. Finally, those who affect a psychiatric state understand depression, withdrawal, fatigue, insomnia and more. Talk with your doctor about screening for Huntington disorders or related movements if you notice any changes in this nature.
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