What Is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disease commonly that affects movement, occurring in approximately 13 per 100,000 people. In America, there are about 60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s identified each year. Symptoms generally start steadily and then progressively worsen over time. Although Parkinson’s disease has no cure, there are medications and treatments open to take that can drastically reduce your symptoms.

If you are in the Dallas-Fort Worth region and are experiencing tremors or other symptoms that you suspect could be Parkinson’s, schedule an appointment with Texas Institute for Neurological Disorders as soon as possible. If you already have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, we can also work with your other health care providers to give you highly customized treatment to optimally reduce symptoms. Some example neurological services TIND provides for patients with Parkinson’s include:

Comprehensive Movement Disorders Management
Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s, Tremors and Dystonia
Gait and Fall Evaluation
Learn more about what we can do to help you manage your Parkinson’s!

The Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
Most persons know that Parkinson’s disease involves symptoms like tremors and increasingly rigid movements. However, there are plenty of other possible symptoms. A significant factor of Parkinson’s is that it can manifest in very different ways between each patient. Some persons have only 1 of these symptoms, while others go through the whole gamut. Here are some of the most frequent symptoms of Parkinson’s this disease:

#1: Tremors
As previously mentioned, the most characteristic sign of Parkinson’s is tremors. Tremors associated with Parkison’s are particularly called “rest tremors,” as they gently stop occurring once that part of the body is utilized and active. When tremors start to develop in the early stages of Parkinson’s, it might be difficult even to notice them; they could be extremely subtle. As the disease worsens, however, so do the tremors. Tremors tend to develop from the inside of the body and then spread out to other areas of the body over time. Check us out to know kanpur cardiology doctors name.

#2: Micrographia
Micrographia is the medical name for cramped handwriting. Specifically, if micrographia is a condition that is usually getting worse for you as time passes, it may be associated with a nervous disorder, such as Parkinson’s.

#3: Hyposmia
Hyposmia, otherwise referred to as olfactory dysfunction or this is the loss of smell, is a common symptom that impacts around 80% of men and women with Parkinson’s disease. That is the most noticeable symptom for individuals with Parkinson’s that isn’t connected with motor problems. Hyposmia is an early sign that someone has Parkinson’s, sometimes occurring years before any movement-related symptoms emerge. Symptoms of hyposmia associated with Parkinson’s can include:

Difficulty identifying or detecting odour, perhaps
Dulled sense of smell
Difficulty discerning between different odours
If you have hyposmia, it doesn’t automatically mean you have Parkinson’s. Other causes like exposure to damaging chemicals, smoking, or age can also cause hyposmia. It also may occur if you have Alzheimer’s or Huntington’s disease. In either case, it’s essential that, if you are experiencing a lack of smell, schedule a neurological examination with a medical consultant as soon as possible.

#4: Difficulty Walking
Another potential early sign of Parkinson’s disease may be the development of changes in a person’s walking patterns. For example, someone with Parkinson’s may walk more slowly or drag their feet. They could also walk irregularly and have a broader range of stride length.

#5: Sleep Problems
Another common symptom of Parkinson’s is difficulties sleeping. There are a variety of sleep-related symptoms that may occur in persons with Parkinson’s:

Sleep apnea
Insomnia
Uncontrolled movements while sleeping
Nightmares
Narcolepsy
And more
#6: Vocal Changes
Yet another early sign that someone may have Parkinson’s disease is changing the quality or volume of a person’s voice. Vocal changes might entail speaking with softer tones, or, when speaking, one begins with standard techniques limited to it to fade away as one goes on talking. There may also be problems with changing the tone of one’s voice, leading to speaking in a monotone voice.

#7: Constipation
One of the most typical non-movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s is constipation.

#8: Weight Loss
People with Parkinson’s disease may experience mild to moderate weight loss for several reasons. First, tremors may increase metabolism, meaning your body burns more energy during the day. Other symptoms may also impact this; for example, loss of smell could make one disinterested in eating, resulting in weight reduction.

#9: Psychological Issues
Parkinson’s disease is no walk in the park. As a result of the array of potentially debilitating symptoms and the secondary symptoms that make life more complex, it isn’t uncommon for Parkinson’s disease to lead to psychological symptoms like:

Depression
Anxiety
Confusion
Psychosis
And more
Another reason Parkinson’s will come with psychological challenges is that the condition reduces the amount of dopamine one’s body produces, which can impact mood and behaviour.

#10: Facial Masking
People with Parkinson’s may have difficulty making facial expressions, as they involve subtle, complex muscle movements that Parkinson’s makes more challenging. This symptom is named facial masking. It is caused due to Parkinson’s effect of making muscles move more slowly or rigidly. This symptom might cause one to appear emotionless and blank. This may make communicating with other people more difficult than usual.

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