By Fiza Pirani | AJC.Com

Troy Warren for CNT

Former Georgia football coach Mark Richt disclosed Thursday night that he as been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

“I have been waddling around lately and people have asked me what’s wrong,” Richt tweeted. I’ve decided to tell everyone at the same time. I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”

Here are seven things to know about Parkinson’s disease, according to the Mayo Clinic:

What is it?

According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It involves certain nerve cells (or neurons) in the brain that gradually break down or die. The disease often causes tremors, stiffness or slowness. Symptoms worsen over time.

What are the symptoms?

tremor
slowed movement
rigid muscles
impaired posture and balance
loss of automatic movements (decreased ability to perform movements like blinking, smiling, swinging arms while walking)
speech changes (softer, more quickly, slurred speech etc.)
writing changes (harder to write, smaller writing)

What causes Parkinson’s?

Many symptoms associated with the disease are due to a loss of neurons produced by dopamine in your brain. When dopamine decreases, it can cause abnormal brain activity, leading to signs of Parkinson’s disease.

But the root cause of the disease is unknown. There are, however, several factors that play a role, including genetics and environmental triggers, such as toxins.

Are some people at higher risk?

Men are one and a half times more likely to have Parkinson’s than women, according to the Parkinson’s Association.

Incidence also increases with age. People usually develop Parkinson’s around age 60 or older.

Genetics also plays a big role. Having a close relative with the disease increases chances, but the risks are small unless there are multiple relatives with the disease.

Is there a cure?

No, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but medications can certainly help control symptoms.

What is the treatment like?

Treatment for symptom management includes medicines that increase dopamine levels in the brain.

Some medicines include Levodopa, Duopa or Mirapex.

In some cases, a patient may undergo surgery, or deep brain stimulation. In DBS, surgeons implant electrodes into a specific region in your brain. These electrodes send electrical pulses to the brain and can reduce symptoms.