Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinsons disease symptoms do vary from individual to individual and are generally very slow in onset. The early symptoms are not very noticeable and often go unnoticed. The symptoms of Parkinsons usually start on one side of the body and continue to get worse on that particular side.

Tremors of Parkinson’s disease (PD) usually starts in the hands and the individual may be observed rubbing his thumb and forefinger. This tremor is often known as “pill rolling” and is difficult to stop.

Slow movements also occur over time. All individuals with PD develop a reduce ability to start movements. For example, the individual may have difficulties when walking around and then the steps will be short or there may be a shuffling gait.

Rigidity is another feature in the arm, neck and legs. The rigidity can be intense, limits movements and cause pain.

With time, there is poor posture and the balance is unsteady. This often leads to falls.

Loss of spontaneous movement is common. The individual may not be able to blink, smile or swing the arms. Most individuals develop a fixed mask-like expression and no longer show any emotions.

Speech is slow, soft and often slurred.

Few individuals eventually develop problems with memory, concentration and develop varying degrees of dementia.

Other non specific Parkinsons symptoms include:

Depression which may be related to the diagnosis. Most patients feel sacred, are unable to handle the diagnosis and develop long standing depression.

Many individuals with PD are unable to sleep or have difficulty falling asleep. The disordered sleep cycle may also result in day time sleep attacks and night time walking.

As the disease progresses, other symptoms of parkinsons include difficulty chewing and swallowing food. This is primarily because of weakness in the muscles of the face and throat.

Sexual dysfunction is inevitable with long standing disease. Most patients notice a decline in sexual desire and performance. There is a loss of libido and this is related to both physical inability and emotional factors.

Finally, medications used to treat PD also have potent side effects like twitching of the muscles or jerky body movements, excess sleepiness, dizziness or vivid dreams.

Urinary problems may range from incontinence to urinary retention. Several anti parkinsonian medications will make it difficult for men to urinate and intermittent catheterization of the bladder may be required.

In PD, the small intestine slows down and constipation is a common complaint. Moreover, constipation is also a side effect from the medications used to treat PD.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of early PD is difficult because there are many other brain disorders which can present with similar features. There is no specific blood or radiological test that can make the diagnosis of PD. In all cases, the diagnosis is based on the history and physical examination. When features like muscle rigidity, tremors and and slow movements are observed, a preliminary diagnosis is confirmed. Physicians obtain a CT scan or an MRI of the brain to ensure that there is no structural problem. Sometimes physicians will administer levodopa and if parkinsons disease symptoms disappear, then the diagnosis is confirmed.