World Parkinson’s Day is observed every April 11th and is designed to raise the public’s awareness about this progressive nervous system disorder. Parkinson’s disease is caused by nerve cell damage in the brain that causes dopamine levels to drop. It’s a disease that often starts with a tremor in just one hand and generally becomes worse.

Other symptoms of this disease include stiffness, loss of balance, and slow movement. These symptoms can be treated with medications, but this condition currently does not have a cure. That’s why it’s important for people to observe this holiday and to help not only raise awareness about this disease but also help raise funds for an eventual cure.

The History of World Parkinson’s Day

This holiday was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA) on April 11, 1997. The date of this holiday was chosen because it was the birthday of Dr. James Parkinson, the first physician to recognize Parkinson’s as a disease, in 1755.

His 1817 essay, “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy,” was the first direct observation and discussion of this disease and the reason why it’s named after him.

Observing World Parkinson’s Day

On this day, everyone is encouraged to get involved in the fight against Parkinson’s Disease. However, getting involved may look different from one person to the next. Some people may want to raise money directly for the research of this disease, and others may want to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #WorldParkinsonsDay to raise awareness.

Everyone should take the time to enlighten themselves about this disease and how it affects people. People can also take the time to do something special for those suffering from this disease and/or do something nice for their caretakers.