Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease

Aug 19, 2016

Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease

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Parkinson’s disease is a disease of the nervous system associated with degeneration of certain parts of the brain. Parkinson’s disease, or P.D., is a chronic disease and can last for years or, in some cases, be life long. Unfortunately, there is no cure for P.D., but there are treatment options to slow the progression of the disease.

A physician usually makes the diagnosis after an individual is displaying one or many of the signs and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease

Some individuals begin displaying symptoms of Parkinson’s disease as early as their teenage years. Despite this, the disease is much more prevalent in older individuals.

Following a diagnosis, most individuals realize they may have been displaying signs of the disease for months, or even years. The earlier that Parkinson’s disease is caught, the better the individual’s chances are for successful treatment. Below are a few of the most common early warning signs of Parkinson’s disease.

Loss of Smell

Not everyone suffering from Parkinson’s disease loses their sense of smell, but a vast majority of individuals with the disease will.

Difficulty Sleeping

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease will begin feeling more tired due to the inability to sleep soundly at night. A person can toss and turn all night, often to the extent of falling out of bed and injuring themselves.

Constipation

Difficulties producing regular bowel movements are a common and early warning sign of Parkinson’s disease. When the individual is able to move their bowels, it typically involves a lot of straining. This is not to be confused with regular constipation due to a lack of fiber or other common issues.

Fainting Spells

One side effect of Parkinson’s disease is extremely low blood pressure, which can cause an individual to constantly feel dizzy and even have frequent fainting spells. This symptom should be addressed immediately because of the obvious dangers that come along with fainting – especially in the elderly.

Hunching or Bad Posture

Parkinson’s disease affects the way your brain makes your body do things, even subconscious things, like standing up straight. Because of this, a very early sign of Parkinson’s disease is constant stooping or hunching over. This typically worsens as the disease becomes more prevalent.

Tremors and Shaking

If an individual begins to recognize a faint tremor in their hands, fingers, chin and even lips, this may be an early warning sign of Parkinson’s disease. This is caused by Parkinson’s disease affect on the individual’s motor skills.

Inability to Show Expression

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease have a masked face, meaning they have a completely serious look on their faces at all times, without realizing it, despite being happy, sad or feeling any other emotion. People suffering from P.D. also tend so stare off into space for long periods of time without blinking.

Lowered Voice

Individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease often begin speaking in a lowered or softer voice, without realizing it. People may also acknowledge the fact that they have been speaking lower and try yelling to cover it up. Both of these are early signs of Parkinson’s disease.

Trouble Walking

Those suffering from Parkinson’s disease will begin feeling stiffness in their limbs and may be unable to move at times.

If you or a loved one is displaying any of the early signs of Parkinson’s disease, please consult a physician. While it is not curable, medications can help slow the progress of this debilitating disease and increase the individual’s quality of life.

Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease
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