Early Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Starting with barely perceptible tremors, as the disease progresses this symptom can become quite severe.

WHAT ARE THE EARLY SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE?

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological condition that affects the dopamine secreting cells of the nervous system. Nerve cell damage occurs in the brain which in turn impacts the movement, gait, and postures.

Important Facts About Parkinson’s Disease:

#1 There is no cure for Parkinson’s. However, therapy can help slow down the disease and enable the individual to be independent. Medication can help manage symptoms.
#2 It is a progressive condition. Parkinson’s is a brain degenerative disease, but it does not deteriorate overnight. This is why therapy is important to help manage symptoms.
#3 It is an age-related disease. Parkinson’s is more common among the elderly – those aged 60 and above. While having a family history of Parkinson’s increases one’s risk, unless the person has multiple close relatives with the condition, the risk is quite small.

5 Early Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

#1 SMALLER, SLOWER MOVEMENTS
One of the first changes people notice is in the way they move and perform normal actions. Due to nerve damage in the cells, getting their limbs to move becomes tedious. Some people even notice that their handwriting becomes smaller because they are unable to make bigger strokes with bigger motions of their wrists. Something as simple as getting out of bed or a chair becomes a task.
#2 TREMORS
Starting with barely perceptible tremors, as the disease progresses this symptom can become quite severe. Most people think it is muscle weakness/fatigue when they notice their hands shaking when they reach out for objects or hold heavy objects. In older people, tremors are usually a sign of nerve cell damage. Tremors can be felt even when the limb is in a resting position called resting tremor or pill rolling tremor.
#3 MUSCLE STIFFNESS AND CRAMPS
Parkinson’s cause muscle rigidity. It is when the muscles feel inflexible and cramped. This limits movement. In the initial stages of Parkinson’s one might be able to overcome the rigidity, but as the disease progresses muscle rigidity only worsens. Even turning over in bed will be difficult. Facial muscles get affected leading to reduced blinking and then getting worse until the person is unable to make expressions at all leading to expressionless face.
#4 CHANGE IN GAIT AND POSTURE
Muscle stiffness and inability to make big movements slow down the person significantly. They will take smaller slower steps while they walk. They will tend to hunch or stoop while walking – another side-effect of muscle rigidity.
#5 SPEECH CHANGES
Slurred speech and talking softly with reduced voice volume are also key signs of Parkinson’s that begin when the person begins to lose control over his/her muscles in the mouth, throat and chest. Drooling is yet another additional motor symptom.

Other symptoms that are often confused with different conditions are:

Incontinence and loss of bladder control
Extreme Fatigue
Depression and Anxiety
Inability to focus and deliberate on things.
Disturbed sleep
Loss of smell
Stooped posture
Festinating gait
Loss of swing of upper limbs while walking

Treating Parkinson’s Disease

Upon early diagnosis of the condition the person can take up physical therapy to help with motor skills.

Medication is prescribed to manage symptoms such as tremors and muscle stiffness.

Nerve cell damage in the brain causes reduced production of a chemical called dopamine in the brain and this is instrumental in affecting movement. Hence, medications that either increase dopamine levels in the brain or prevent the body from breaking down the short supply of dopamine, are usually prescribed to those with Parkinson’s.

A rather modern method of treatment involves surgically placing a wire in a part of the brain that is affected by Parkinson’s. A mild electric current is delivered to this region of the brain through the wires to stimulate activity. This is called Deep Brain Stimulation and is often presented as an option in the later stages of Parkinson’s.

As with all diseases, early diagnosis can help manage the disease better. Even when there is no cure, through therapy the individual learns how to cope with the disease, its symptoms and its impact on his/her life. Once the disease has gotten severe, the individual can no longer perform simple day-to-day activities and will definitely need to have constant care and support. Hence it is important for the patient and his/her family to prepare themselves accordingly.