Parkinson's Disease in Spanish

What it means

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a type of movement disorder. It happens when nerve cells in the brain don't produce enough of a brain chemical called dopamine. Symptoms begin gradually, often on one side of the body, and later affect both sides. They include trembling of the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; stiffness of the arms, legs, and trunk; slowness of movement; and poor balance and coordination. As symptoms get worse, people with the disease may have trouble walking, talking, or doing simple tasks. There is no specific test for PD, so doctors use a medical history and a neurological examination to diagnose it. MedlinePlus says PD usually begins around age 60, but it can start earlier, and that there is no cure.

Spanish term: Enfermedad de Parkinson
Gender and article: feminine: la enfermedad de Parkinson
Pronunciation: en-fehr-meh-DAHD deh PAR-keen-sohn

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
mal de Parkinson	General	Name the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia uses for the disease in its article text.
parálisis agitante	General	Listed by MedlinePlus en español among the alternative names.

Enfermedad de Parkinson is the name on the MedlinePlus en español health topic page and in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary. It is feminine, la enfermedad de Parkinson, and both sources write Parkinson with a capital letter and no accent mark. The MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia uses a second name, mal de Parkinson, which is masculine (el mal de Parkinson), and lists enfermedad de Parkinson, parálisis agitante and parálisis con temblor as alternative names.

Symptom words from MedlinePlus en español: temblor (trembling; the encyclopedia uses the plural temblores), rigidez (stiffness), lentitud de los movimientos (slowness of movement) and problemas de equilibrio y coordinación (poor balance and coordination). The brain chemical is dopamina, and nerve cells are células nerviosas or neuronas. Deep brain stimulation is estimulación cerebral profunda. The NCI dictionary describes the mask-like facial expression as una expresión facial similar a una máscara.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My right hand shakes when it is at rest, and it has been getting worse for months.	La mano derecha me tiembla cuando está en reposo, y lleva meses empeorando.
Clinician	Have you noticed stiffness, or that you move more slowly than before?	¿Ha notado rigidez, o que se mueve más lentamente que antes?
Patient	Yes, and my handwriting has become very small.	Sí, y mi letra se ha vuelto muy pequeña.
Clinician	Has anyone in your family had Parkinson's disease?	¿Alguien en su familia ha tenido la enfermedad de Parkinson?
Clinician	There is no specific test for Parkinson's disease, so I am going to do a neurological exam.	No existe una prueba específica para la enfermedad de Parkinson, así que voy a hacerle un examen neurológico.
Patient	I have Parkinson's disease, and I have been losing my balance and falling.	Tengo la enfermedad de Parkinson, y he estado perdiendo el equilibrio y cayéndome.
Patient	My medicine seems to wear off before it is time for the next dose.	Parece que el efecto de mi medicamento se pasa antes de la hora de la siguiente dosis.
Patient	I am having trouble swallowing. Is that part of the disease?	Tengo dificultad para tragar. ¿Eso es parte de la enfermedad?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Parkinson's Disease
Spanish (Español)	Enfermedad de Parkinson
Chinese (中文)	帕金森氏症
Korean (한국어)	파킨슨병
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Bệnh Parkinson
Filipino (Tagalog)	Sakit na Parkinson
Portuguese (Português)	Doença de Parkinson
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	โรคพาร์กินสัน
Japanese (日本語)	パーキンソン病

Where you'll see it

chartEOBreferralmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: G20 → Parkinson's disease

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Brain and nerves

All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.