He vowed to use his voice to help find a cure for the disease.
Reverend Jesse Jackson revealing today that he is battling Parkinson’s disease in a letter to his supporters. Reverend Jackson said that he has been seeking outpatient care for the last two years. And he’s also undergoing physical therapy the 76 year old said his family and friends began noticing a change in him about three years ago. And he could no longer ignore the symptoms Jackson’s father also had Parkinson’s disease which is a chronic neurological disorder that disrupts movement. Joining us now it’s easy senior medical correspondent doctor gen action thanks so much for talking to us about this. Let’s talk a little bit up Parkinson’s disease in the symptoms are this is a neuro degenerative disorder we don’t really understand what causes it tends to affect people in middle age and their later years men more than women. And it really is a motor disorders so take a look at the symptoms it can cause problems. With movement causing a tremor although most tremors luckily are not Parkinson’s disease people can have problems with their balance. A rigidity of their neck and facial muscles giving them almost a mask like appearance their faze me and they can also had digested problems and subsequent pain. The difficult part with parkinson’s there is no one definitive tests that we tend to make the diagnosis. On history and physical exam sometimes some neurological imaging. And then it’s really about managing that’s because the symptoms can wax and wane. They progress at different rates for everyone. And it’s really about the managing of those symptoms there’ll. I was gonna say you know I am and you talk about the mattresses are so many famous people have really put the spotlight on it back into that box Mohammed Ali and cannot move blues the fortunate keeps getting longer and it has a lot of people wondering is there a cure in sight to this is. There is no cure now there and there are treatments primarily medication although some types of surgery to do stimulation in various parts of the brain that are affected but here is intense research going on particularly with gene therapy and you know every time a public figure comes forward with a medical battle. It does bring a lot of education and awareness to that condition. We’re seeing it now again with parkinson’s and not just there are some exciting possibilities in terms of research coming down. We Newport of the reverend Jackson’s father also had parkinson’s is not a coincidence it’s it is it any big credit to know what we say in medicine is family history is very important in May not be your destiny but you do need to know what affects your family first degree relatives second to your relatives. It does increase your risk factor it doesn’t commit you to the scene destiny thank you so much for helping us comes from good.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
