Parkinson's Disease Symptoms
Parkinson's disease (PD), also called paralysis agitans, parkinsonian syndrome, parkinsonism, Parkinson's syndrome
is a neurological condition that typically causes tremor and or stiffness in movement. The condition affects about 1 to 2 percent of people over the age of 60 years and the chance of developing PD increases as you age. Most people affected with Parkinson's disease are not aware of any relatives with the condition but in a number of families, there is a family history. When three or more people are affected in a family, especially if they are diagnosed at an early age, under 50 years doctors can suspect that there may be a gene making this family more likely to develop the condition.
Symptoms usually only begin to appear after about 80% of the dopamine in the brain has been lost. More recent data based on PET scans suggests that symptoms may occur when 50-60% of dopaminergic neurons are lost. The level of dopamine will continue to fall slowly over time, with an attendant worsening of symptoms.
Parkinson's disease symptoms can be as subtle as an arm that doesn't swing
when you walk, a mild tremor in the fingers of one hand or soft, mumbling speech
that's difficult to understand. You may lack energy, feel depressed or have
trouble sleeping. Or you may notice that it takes you longer to shower, shave,
eat or do other routine tasks.
Symptoms of Parkinson's disease may include:
- tremor while this is the best known symptom, it is not displayed
by an estimated 30% of patients. In addition, tremors of the chin and lips
tend to be Parkinsonian where tremors of the whole head suggest essential
tremor.
- rigidity increased tone or stiffness in the muscles
- bradykinesia slowness of movement and akinesia (lack of
spontaneous movement)
- failing balance
- walking problems
Additionally, the following signs and symptoms are commonly associated with
Parkinson's Disease:
- Psychological
- sleep disturbances
- anxiety or panic attacks
- depression occurs in 50% of cases
- dementia, in approximately 20% of all patients, typically starting
with slowing of thought and progressing to difficulty organizing
thoughts
- memory loss
- altered sexual function
- Sensory
- impaired visual contrast sensitivity, colour discrimination, and
oculomotor control
- dizziness
- loss of sense of smell, anosmia
- pain
- Physical
- speech problems (hypophonia; vocal cords can also be affected, causing
monotonous, soft speech qualities),
- stooped or flexed posture,
- constipation,
- fatigue up to 50% of cases
- oily skin,
- difficulty in swallowing,
- masked facies - a mask-like face also known as hypomimia, with
infrequent blinking
- drooling,
- micrographia - small handwriting
- decreased arm swing
- difficulty rolling in bed
- slowness of gait
See your doctor if you have any of the symptoms associated with Parkinson's
disease, not only to diagnose the illness but also to rule out other causes for
your problem. For instance, tremors are often an early sign of Parkinson's
disease yet the most common type of tremor, known as essential tremor, isn't
caused by Parkinson's.
Parkinson's
Disease Symptoms to P
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