9 Lesser-Known Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms
Parkinson’s disease is a brain condition that results in unintentional or involuntary movements like trembling, stiffness, and issues with balance and coordination. Typically, symptoms start out mildly and get worse over time. People could experience difficulties speaking and walking as the illness worsens. Unfortunately, the illness has a wide range of symptoms, some of which are obvious and many of which are not.
The diagnosis may be delayed if certain symptoms are not recognised. Parkinson’s patients may occasionally find it challenging to distinguish between symptoms that are caused by the disease and those that are caused by other conditions. Additionally, you might not be sure that a symptom is treatable if you are not aware that it is a Parkinson’s symptom.
- Anxiety and Depression: Depression is not only a normal response to a challenging diagnosis. It’s also a typical sign of the illness itself.
- Loss of Smell: Most Parkinson’s disease sufferers lose some of their sense of smell. Despite the fact that many people with smell loss do not go on to develop Parkinson’s, for many who do, it appears to be the initial sign.
- Cognitive Problems: Although cognitive impairment symptoms are not always present in Parkinson’s patients, they can include memory loss, issues concentrating, or problems multitasking. The signs might range from moderate cognitive impairment to dementia caused by Parkinson’s disease (PDD).
- Low Speech Volume: Speech slurring and a softer voice can be symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s patients who sing may also discover that their musical aspect is impacted.
- Orthostatic Hypotension: An additional non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease is orthostatic hypotension, which is a dip in blood pressure after moving from one posture to another, such as standing up from a sitting position. It’s possible for orthostatic hypotension to make you feel faint and unsteady.
- Facial Masking: Bradykinesia is a loss of voluntary movement, as well as a slowing of that as well. You might walk more slowly overall or with a smaller arm swing. Facial masking, or minimising facial expression, may potentially be an alternative for you.
- Fatigue: These annoying symptoms are prevalent among Parkinson’s patients. Parkinson’s disease-related sleep issues can also contribute to fatigue.
- Dystonia: It is the third most prevalent movement condition and a sign of Parkinson’s disease. It is characterised by painful, protracted muscle spasms.
- Medications Effect: Many people are not aware of the occasional adverse effects that some Parkinson’s disease medications might have, despite the fact that they are not a symptom in and of themselves. Levodopa use can result in dyskinesia, which is characterised as smooth tics. Impulsive behaviour and dopamine agonists have been connected.
Living With Parkinson’s Disease
Even though Parkinson’s disease normally develops gradually, a person’s daily activities eventually could be impacted. Working, maintaining a home, and taking part in social activities with friends can all become difficult. Physical, occupational, and speech treatments may be used to treat tremors, rigidity, and a loss in mental abilities as well as gait and voice abnormalities. Parkinson’s disease has no known treatment. But in recent years, scientists have started researching stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s to develop better therapeutic choices. Parkinson’s disease stem cell therapy aims to replace damaged brain cells with new, undifferentiated stem cells. Stem cell treatment is not currently thought to be able to treat Parkinson’s facts. But it could be a better option than the ones being used now.
