Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects the nervous system. It affects more men than women and most often those over the age of 50. The average age of onset is about 70 years.

Signs & Symptoms

Early symptoms can be subtle. They occur gradually and include:

• Feeling a little shaky, especially in the hands. A person’s handwriting can look spidery and smaller.
• Being tired. Speaking too softly.
• Losing track of a word or thought
• Sudden movements during sleep
• Having no facial expression
• Feeling irritable or depressed for no known reason

Four Main Symptoms

• Tremor. This may start in the hand while at rest, but can start in the head or leg. Tremor is not always present.
• Stiffness of the limbs and trunk.
• Slow movement. Less natural movement. The person may not be able to wash or dress quickly or easily.
• Loss of balance and coordination. This can lead to a stooped posture, a shuffling gait, and falls.

Other Symptoms

• Problems with chewing and swallowing.
• Mild cognitive impairment, such as feeling distracted or disorganized.
• Depression. Anxiety. Apathy.
• Speech changes. The person may speak too softly or in a monotone. The person may slur or repeat words, or speak too fast.
• Bladder or bowel problems, such as constipation.
• Skin that is too oily or dry.
• Restless sleep. Being drowsy during the day.
• Dementia (in advanced stages)

Causes

The exact cause is not known. What is known, though, is that certain cells in the lower part of the brain can’t produce dopamine. Nerves need this to coordinate body movement.

{Note: Some medicines can bring on symptoms like ones of Parkinson’s disease. Examples are anti-psychotic and anti-nausea drugs.

Risk Factors

• Family history of the disease
• Aging. For some, the neurons that produce dopamine wear away with aging.
• Rarely, repeated trauma to the head. This can happen to boxers. Muhammad Ali has this condition.
• Damage to nerve cells through a chemical process called oxidation