Parkinson’s disease is said to be a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that may often damage the patient’s motor skills, speech, and other functions. Supposedly, the American Academy of Neurology has given out a new guideline advocating the most effectual treatments to aid people with Parkinson’s disease who go through sleep, constipation, and sexual problems. These are said to be general but frequently underrecognized symptoms.

Sexual problems are thought to affect men suffering from Parkinson’s disease a lot. In men with Parkinson’s, erectile dysfunction is believed to be quite general. As per the guideline, the drug sildenafil citrate may enhance erectile dysfunction. Moreover, the guideline discovered that the drug isosmotic macrogol could address constipation troubles in people with Parkinson’s disease.

“While the main symptom of Parkinson’s disease is movement problems, there are many other symptoms to be aware of, including sleep disorders, constipation, and problems with urination and sexual function. Without treatment, these symptoms can cause as much pain and discomfort as movement problems and greatly affect daily routines and quality of life,” commented, Lead guideline author Theresa A. Zesiewicz, MD, with the University of South Florida in Tampa and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

For addressing the issue of unnecessary daytime sleepiness, the guideline advices doctors to consider the drug modafinil to aid people to feel more awake. Nevertheless, it may be vital to observe that one study exhibited that people consuming modafinil seemed to have a false sense of alertness. This may turn out to be a threat for activities like driving. The guideline also discovered that the drug methylphenidate may aid with fatigue.

The guideline seemingly reveals two tests to assist in recognizing nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. On of them is the NMSQuest rating scale. The other one is the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The original UPDRS could mostly monitor movement problems.

Doctors apparently apply the updated version of the UPDRS to check for all Parkinson’s symptoms, counting those unconnected to movements. People suffering from Parkinson’s disease ought to talk to their doctor about whether these tests may be useful.

The guideline is published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.