Shy Drager disease overview

A rare multiple symptom atrophy Shy Drager disease with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease caused due to damage to the autonomic system of nerves. It is degenerative disorder, which damages the nervous system, which controls the functions as blood pressure, heart rate, motor system.

Basal ganglia is affected by number of degenerative diseases, which present with differing combinations of slowness of movement, increased tone, tremor and loss of postural reflex. The most common cause of these parkinsonian or a kinetic-rigid syndrome is idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. This condition has an annual incidence of about 0.2/1000 and prevalence of 1.5/1000 in United Kingdom. Its prevalence rate is same throughout the world.

10% of patients are under 45 years at presentation, the incidence and prevalence both increase with age, the latter rising to over 1% in those over 60. Sex incidence is about equal. It is less common in cigarette smokers. Shy-drager disease causes postural hypotension and tremor.

Other names of disease are as neurologic orthostatic hypotension, Parkinson plus disease and Shy McGee Drager.

Shy drager syndrome symptoms and risk factors

The incidence, risk factors and causes for shy drager disease are developed due to other diseases.

The shy-drager syndrome causes are unknown. The chances of MSA disease increased with these risk factors.

• Age, If patient age is 50 or above.
• History, Patients with medical history of polio.
• Gender, Men are more prone to be infected.
• Non-smoker, People who do not smoke cigarettes.
• High level of cholesterol, Patients with high cholesterol are also at risk.
• Drinking alcohol, As drinking alcohol, lower the blood pressure and this increases the risk of MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY.
• Diabetics.

Multiple system atrophy symptoms

When nervous system damages and causes the symptoms as facial expressions changes such as facemask appear on face, they cannot close mouth, staring and cannot express through facial expressions. They have difficulty of swallowing and chewing; they have rapid eye movement and have disturbed sleep pattern.

They faint while standing and feel dizziness. They fall frequently. Men face the impotence. People with this disease have no control on their bowels and bladder. They have no control on over motor skills like eating difficulty, they face problem in movements. They have writing and reading problem.

They do not sweat. They have difficulties in balance loss, shuffling and have change walking pattern. They have myalgia and have rigid muscles. They cannot bend legs and arms. They have stiffness. They have nausea and digestive problems. They have posture difficulties. They have slow movements. They have difficulty in voluntary movement.

They are unable to restart a movement after a stop. They have walking problems. Tremors when tired, or face interfere within activities. Tremors can occur any time. They have pill-rolling tremor. They have burred visions, they voice changes and have difficulty in speaking. They get slow in speech. Have low volume.

There are few more symptoms of shy drager disease as they could be confuse, dementia, depression and have sleep apnea. Breathing problem and dermatitis seborrheic, etc.

Shy Drager diagnosis

Blood pressure is measured while lying, standing along with eye examination, and neuromuscular by the heath care. History of symptoms, physical examination can help neurologist to diagnosis this disease; there are no tests designed for its measurements.

Test that might help in confirmation of the disease includes head’s MRI, measurement levels of plasma norepinephrine and breakdown products examination of urine. Other important test s are complete Blood Test as it measures the blood chemistry along with electrolytes, EMG- Electromyogram .It measures the electrical activity of muscles.

It records its activity as rest and contraction. It also observes the damages of muscles. Tilt-table test, it measures blood pressure when body change its position, Sleep studies are done to observes the sleep apnea which is sleep disorder.

Shy Drager syndrome patients take Barium Swallow test to assess problem with swallowing. They eat a barium substance and X-ray is done for the upper digestive tract.

Treatment methods

There are medicines given to maintain blood pressure. They are given drugs such as fluorine F, indocid, milodrine and beta-blockers. Patients are given constipation softeners. They are given treatment for urinary problems. Impotence treatment through medication is provided to patients. Impotence drugs can cause blood pressure drop causing dizziness.

Patients face the problems as ability to walk or take care of their own. They face problem in performing daily activities. They are injured more due to falls and faints. They also have medications side effects.

The side effects of the medications can cause the following problems.

• Behavior change.
• Mood disorders.
• Dizziness.
• Involuntary movements.
• Hallucinations.
• Mental functions disorder.
• Vomiting.
• Nausea.
• Disorientation.
• Slow response.

It is important to contact the doctor when these conditions are noticed in the patients. The patients must self care and join the support groups. They must consult the doctors before taking any medicine. They must visit their physiologist for therapy. They are supposed to follow the instructions well for removing the speech problem.

If patients with MSA Shy Drager disease will not follow the simple instructions of their doctors or take care, they will deteriorate to the conditions, which is not curable. The life expectancy for these patients is very low, as it is a progressive disease.