April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month

Heather Ainsley ECB Publishing, Inc. Around 10 million people worldwide are affected by Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. It is most commonly recognized by tremors, which can be modest or severe in nature and are largely caused by dopamine depletion. Dopamine is well-recognized as one of the “happy hormones,” and it is true that it is a neurotransmitter that affects emotions and makes us feel good. But our hormones are not just there to make us happy – the human mind and body is far more complex than that. While we enjoy the effects that these hormones have, our bodies utilize them for specific fu