Parkinson's Patients Should Use Caution Driving
by Taryn SimpsonLifestyle
Most people will agree that driving gives them a sense of independence. After all, people use driving to run errands such as grocery shopping, or to “get away from it all."
Driving in our culture is as natural as breathing and therefore, it is no wonder that losing the ability to drive has a huge impact on daily life. Older senior citizens will face this situation at some point in their lives. However, some people lose the ability to drive due to other reasons, like a disability.Parkinson’s disease afflicts people in their younger years as well as when they are senior citizens. Age is not necessarily the factor that causes problems with driving. In this case, Parkinson’s disease symptoms will be a deciding factor for being a safe driver or not.Think about it, there are times when Parkinson’s disease patients have difficulty with stiffness in their limbs, which may cause problems when they move their foot from the brake to the accelerator. Not to mention the difficulty of split-second decision making for patients who deal with cognitive problems. There is also the issue of “sleep attacks” that can occur suddenly in some patients. It goes without saying that this can be a very dangerous issue.So when should a Parkinson’s patient stop driving? The answer will vary for every patient. A good rule of thumb is if the patient’s symptoms are steadily becoming worse, it might be time to suggest a driving test at your local DMV. In any event, talk with your neurologist and bring a family member with you so that all questions can be addressed.Source:
Neurology Now, July/Aug 2008
Dr. OkunJoined: 19 Jan 2007Posts: 251Location: University of Florida
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:07 am Post subject:
Thanks for the post, we prefer to get the drivers test at a rehab center where in some cases they may be able to offer some help. It is important to have a low threshold to get checked!_________________Michael S. Okun, M.D.
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