Is PSP considered a terminal illness?

Is PSP considered a terminal illness?

Although PSP isn’t fatal, symptoms do continue to worsen and it can’t be cured. Complications that result from worsening symptoms, such as pneumonia (from breathing in food particles while choking during eating), can be life threatening.

What happens in the last stages of PSP?

The final stages of PSP are usually dominated by an increasingly severe dysarthria and dysphagia. These features are usually described as being part of a pseudo-bulbar palsy, as brisk jaw and facial jerks may be present.

What part of the brain is damaged in PSP?

Many areas are affected, including the part of the brainstem where cells that control eye movement are located. The area of the brain that controls steadiness when you walk is also affected. The frontal lobes of the brain are also affected, leading to personality changes.

Is PSP a serious illness?

Progressive supranuclear palsy is an uncommon brain disorder that causes serious problems with walking, balance and eye movements, and later with swallowing. The disorder results from deterioration of cells in areas of your brain that control body movement, coordination, thinking and other important functions.

What are the main problems with PSP?

Furthermore, many of the problems in PSP are intermittent and can be aggravated by the patient’s mental or emotional state. For example, walking, writing and eating may be poor one hour and better the next.

What is PSP (progressive supranuclear palsy)?

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Quick Facts of PSP: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder that has no known cause or cure It affects brain cells that control balance, walking, coordination, eye movement, speech, swallowing, and thinking

What are the early signs of PSP?

These are also early signs of PSP: Having unusual emotional outbursts, like crying or laughing at unexpected times Trouble directing your eyes where you want them to go Inability to control the eyelids, such as unwanted blinking or being unable to open your eyes How is progressive supranuclear palsy diagnosed?

What do you know about PSP?

Quick Facts of PSP: 1 Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder that has no known cause or cure 2 It affects brain cells that control balance, walking, coordination, eye movement, speech, swallowing, and thinking 3 Five to six people in 100,000 have PSP