Research Suggests Parkinson’s Disease May Be Linked to Agent Orange
Like hypothyroidism and bladder cancer, parkinsonism (the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease) is a relatively new addition to the list of diseases presumed to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange that receive veteran benefits. The change came more than a decade after the symptoms were found to be associated with exposure to the toxin. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition that results from the dysfunction or death of motor neurons, brain cells that control body movements. The loss of these neurons causes tremors, slow movements, muscle stiffness, and difficulty walking, speaking, and carrying out involuntary movements like blinking. Parkinson’s disease is progressive, which means it worsens over time, and there is currently no cure.