Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
The symptoms of Parkinson's disease depend upon the severity of the disease and the stages of the disease. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease may vary from person to person, day to day or even moment to moment. The symptoms may appear at any age but they mostly begin at 60. Given below are some of the Parkinson's disease symptoms. Most of the people with Parkinson's disease do not develop all of these symptoms. Some may develop symptoms in early stages while others in later stages of the Parkinson's disease.
- Tremor: Tremor or shaking is the first symptom of Parkinson's disease. A slight shaking in the hands, arms, legs or sometimes even in fingers is observed. Tremor may be observed either on one side or both the sides of the body. Tremor occurs only when a person is awake and sitting and often disappears when the person sleeps or moves the affected part.
- Muscle stiffness: Muscle stiffness or rigidity is one of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's disease. It often occurs in limbs and neck but can also affect other parts of the body. A reduced arm swing caused by rigid muscles is observed on one side when the person is walking. It may produce muscle pain and may increase during movement.
- Bradykinesia: Slowness is observed in voluntary movement, particularly when the person tries to move from a resting position. This may be caused due to freezing of the leg muscles, which makes it difficult to carry on the normal movement. Parkinson's disease decreases the dopamine level, which causes delay in transmission of signals from brain to skeletal muscles producing bradykinesia.
- Parkinsonian Gait: Parkinsonian gait is the difficulty in walking and balancing. A person has an unsteady walk and has a tendency to lean either backward or forward, use small steps and drag his feet close together. Due to the improper balancing they may fall frequently or appear to fall. They may also have a trouble in making a turn. These symptoms generally appear in the later stages.
- Difficulty in swallowing (Dysphagia): Due to the weakness of throat muscles a person with Parkinson's disease may find it difficult to swallow the things. Choking, coughing, or drooling may be caused due to the saliva and food that collects in the mouth or back of the throat making it difficult to swallow. He may also find it difficult to talk, which results in soft and monotonous speech. This symptom may also develop in the later stages of the disease.
- Dementia: Dementia is a mental disorder that affects a person's ability to think, remember and reason. Only one-third of people with Parkinson's develop dementia. Dementia results in slower thinking processes and difficulty in concentrating. Memory loss and confusion can also be seen.
- Sleeping Disorders (Insomnia): People with Parkinson's disease may find difficulty in sleeping may be due to anxiety, depression or restlessness. Due to the difficulty in turning over or changing the position they may not be able to sleep well.
Other symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease may include:
- Constipation
- Frequent urination
- Difficulty in starting urination
- Increased sweating
- Muscle cramps
- Joint cramps
- Low blood pressure
- Vacant facial expression due to weakness of face muscles
- Oily skin
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Increased dandruff
- Changes in handwriting such as small, cramped handwriting
- Loss of bowel control
- Difficulty in performing daily activities
These were some of the symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. The intensity of the symptoms can vary with individuals. If you experience any of these symptoms contact your doctor for proper diagnosis of the disease.