Perkinson's Disease, 13 early signs of Parkinson's disease and its causes

Perkinson's Disease, Early signs of Parkinson's disease and its causes

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder. It affects the nervous system, and symptoms become worse over time.

Other movement disorders include cerebral palsy, ataxia, and Tourette syndrome. They happen when a change in the nervous system affects a person's ability to move or stay still.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) note that, in the United States, around 50,000 people receive a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease each year, and around half a million people are living with the condition.

What is Parkinson's disease?

Tremor in one hand is a early sign

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease develop gradually. They often start with a slight tremor in one hand and a feeling of stiffness in the body.

Over time, other symptoms develop, and some people will have dementia.

Most of the symptoms result from a fall in dopamine levels in the brain.

One study, based in France, found in 2015 that men are 50 percent more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than women overall, but the risk for women appears to increase with age.

In most people, symptoms appear at the age of 60 years or over. However in 5–10 percent of cases they appear earlier. When Parkinson's disease develops before the age of 50 years, this is called "early onset" Parkinson's disease.

Early signs

Here are some early signs of Parkinson's disease:

--Movement: There may be a tremor in the hands.

--Coordination: A reduced sense of coordination and balance can cause people to drop items they are holding. They may be more likely to fall.

--Gait: The person's posture may change, so that they lean forward slightly, as if they were hurrying. They may also develop a shuffling gait.

--Facial expression: This can become fixed, due to changes in the nerves that control facial muscles.

--Voice: There may be a tremor in the voice, or the person may speak more softly than before.

--Handwriting: This may become more cramped and smaller.

--Sense of smell: A loss of sense of smell can be an early sign.

--Sleep problems: These are a feature of Parkinson's, and they may be an early sign. Restless legs may contribute to this.

Other common symptoms include:

--mood changes, including depression

--difficulty chewing and swallowing

--problems with urination

--constipation

--skin problems

--sleep problems

The importance of recognizing early symptoms

Many people think that the early signs of Parkinson's are normal signs of aging. For this reason, they may not seek help.

However, treatment is more likely to be effective if a person takes it early in the development of Parkinson's disease. For this reason, it is important to get an early diagnosis if possible.

If treatment does not start until the person has clear symptoms, it will not be as effective.

Moreover, a number of other conditions can have similar symptoms.

These include:

--drug-induced Parkinsonism

--head trauma

--encephalitis

--stroke

--Lewy body dementia

--corticobasal degeneration

--multiple system atrophy

--progressive supranuclear palsy

The similarity to other conditions can make it hard for doctors to diagnose Parkinson's disease in the early stages.

Movement symptoms may start on one side of the body and gradually affect both sides.

Causes and risk factors

Scientists are not sure what causes Parkinson's disease. It happens when nerve cells die in the brain.

Low dopamine levels: Scientists have linked low or falling levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, with Parkinson's disease. This happens when cells that produce dopamine die in the brain.

Dopamine plays a role in sending messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. Low dopamine levels can make it harder for people to control their movements.

As dopamine levels fall in a person with Parkinson's disease, their symptoms gradually become more severe.

Low norepinephrine levels: Norepinephrine, another neurotransmitter, is important for controlling many automatic body functions, such as the circulation of the blood.

In Parkinson's disease, the nerve endings that produce this neurotransmitter die. This may explain why people with Parkinson's disease experience not only movement problems but also fatigue, constipation, and orthostatic hypotension, when blood pressure changes on standing up, leading to light-headedness.

Lewy bodies: A person with Parkinson's disease may have clumps of protein in their brain known as Lewy bodies. Lewy body dementia is a different condition, but it has links with Parkinson's disease.

Genetic factors: Sometimes, Parkinson's disease appears to run in families, but it is not always hereditary. Researchers are trying to identify specific genetic factors that may lead to Parkinson's disease, but it appears that not one but a number of factors are responsible.

For this reason, they suspect that a combination for genetic and environmental factors may lead to the condition.

Possible environmental factors could include exposure to toxins, such as pesticides, solvents, metals, and other pollutants.

Autoimmune factors: Scientists reported in JAMA in 2017 that they had found evidence of a possible genetic link between Parkinson's disease and autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

In 2018, researchers investigating health records in Taiwan found that people with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) had a 1.37-higher chance of also having Parkinson's disease than people without ARD.

Prevention

Pesticides may increase the risk of PD

It is not possible to prevent Parkinson's disease, but research has shown that some lifelong habits may help to reduce the risk.

Turmeric: This spice contains curcumin, an antioxidant ingredient. It may help to prevent the clumping of a protein involved in Parkinson's disease, at least one laboratory study has found.

Flavonoids: Consuming another type of antioxidant — flavonoids — may lower the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to research. Flavonoids are present in berries, apples, some vegetables, tea, and red grapes.

Avoiding reheated cooking oils: Scientists have linked toxic chemicals, known as aldehydes, to Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, and some cancers.

Heating certain oils — such as sunflower oil — to a certain temperature, and then using them again can cause aldehydes to occur in those oils.

Avoiding toxins: Exposure to herbicides, pesticides, and other toxins may increase the risk of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease. People should take precautions when using these types of product, for example, by using protective clothing.

Early signs of Parkinson's disease

1. Tremors

Person writing by hand.

Early symptoms of Parkinson's can include tremors in the hands and cramped handwriting.

Many healthcare professionals consider tremors to be a key characteristic sign of Parkinson's disease. Tremors involve a persistent twitching or shaking of the hands, legs, or chin.

Tremors associated with Parkinson's disease are called "rest tremors." This means that the tremors stop when a person uses the affected body part.

Tremors are very subtle when they first appear. At this stage, the person experiencing the tremors is usually the only one who notices them. Tremors will gradually worsen as the disease progresses.

Tremors typically appear on one side of the body and then spread to other parts of the body later on.

2. Difficulty walking

Subtle changes in a person's walking pattern could be an early sign of Parkinson's disease.

Someone who has Parkinson's disease might walk slowly or drag their feet as they walk. Many refer to this as a "shuffling gait."

The person might walk at an irregular pace, suddenly walking faster or slower or changing the length of their stride.

3. Cramped or small handwriting

Micrographia is a disorder that involves abnormally small or cramped handwriting.

Doctors associate micrographia with medical conditions that affect the nervous system, or neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.

4. Loss of smell

Hyposmia occurs when someone loses their ability to smell. This is also called olfactory dysfunction. A loss of smell is a relatively common symptom, affecting 70–90 percent of people with Parkinson's disease.

Loss of smell is one of the most noticeable symptoms of Parkinson's disease that is not related to movement. It can appear several years before the disease affects a person's movement.

People who have hyposmia as a symptom of Parkinson's disease might experience:

--a dulled sense of smell

--difficulty detecting odors

--difficulty identifying odors

--difficulty telling the difference between odors

Doctors use smell identification tests to diagnose hyposmia, but the accuracy of these tests varies widely.

Having hyposmia does not always mean that someone has Parkinson's disease. A person's sense of smell can change for many reasons, such as age, smoking, or exposure to harsh chemicals. Hyposmia is also a symptom of other medical conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease.

5. Sleep problems

A person in the early stages of Parkinson's might experience a range of sleep problems.

A person in the early stages of Parkinson's might experience a range of sleep problems.

Parkinson's disease can severely affect a person's ability to sleep. People who have Parkinson's disease may experience a wide range of sleep-related symptoms, including:

--insomnia

--excessive daytime fatigue

--narcolepsy

--sleep apnea

--nightmares

--uncontrolled or sporadic movements while asleep

6. Poor balance

Parkinson's disease specifically targets nerve cells called basal ganglia, which reside deep within the brain. Basal ganglia nerves control balance and flexibility, so any damage to these nerves can impair a person's balance.

Doctors use a test called the pull test to assess a person's balance. The pull test involves a healthcare professional gently pulling a person's shoulders backward until they lose their balance and recording how long it takes them to regain it.

Healthy individuals recover after one or two steps, while people with Parkinson's disease may take a higher number of smaller steps to fully balance themselves.

7. Bradykinesia

Bradykinesia is a term that means slowness or absence of movement.

Bradykinesia causes a variety of symptoms, such as stiffness of the limbs and slow movements. A person who has bradykinesia might walk slower or have difficult starting a movement.

Some people who have this symptom might misinterpret it as muscle weakness. However, this symptom does not affect muscle strength.

8. Facial masking

Facial expressions involve many subtle, complex muscle movements. People with Parkinson's disease often have a reduced ability to make facial expressions. This is called facial masking.

Facial masking is related to bradykinesia. The facial muscles move more slowly or rigidly than usual. People who have facial masking may appear blank or emotionless, though their ability to feel emotions is not impaired. Facial masking can also cause someone to blink their eyes slower.

A person with facial masking might have difficulty communicating with others because changes in their facial expressions are less noticeable than usual.

9. Vocal changes

Changes in the volume and quality of a person's voice is another early sign of Parkinson's disease.

Vocal changes may involve speaking in a softer tone, or starting to speak at a usual volume and then the voice becomes softer or fades away.

In other cases, a person might lose the usual variation in the volume and tone of their voice, so that the voice appears monotonous.

10. Stooping or hunched posture

People who have Parkinson's disease may notice changes in their posture due to other symptoms of the disease, such as muscle rigidity.

People naturally stand so that their weight is evenly distributed over their feet. However, people who have Parkinson's disease may start bending forward, making them appear hunched or stooped over.

11. Constipation

Constipation is a common problem that can have a wide range of causes. Constipation is one of the most common non-motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. Nearly 25 percent of people with the condition experience constipation before they develop motor symptoms.

12. Psychological symptoms

Therapy can help treat emotional changes due to Parkinson's.

Talking to a therapist might help a person with Parkinson's cope with emotional changes caused by the disease.

Parkinson's disease can severely affect a person's psychological well-being. The disease lowers the body's natural levels of dopamine, which can cause changes in mood and behavior.

Some psychological symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease include:

--depression

--anxiety

--psychosis

--dementia

--confusion

--difficulty making plans or staying organized

--reduced problem-solving ability

13. Weight loss

People with Parkinson's disease might experience mild to moderate weight loss for several reasons.

Tremors and other motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's may increase the body's natural energy requirements. Non-motor symptoms, such as loss of smell, depression, or digestive issues, might cause people to eat less, which may result in weight loss.

Summary

Parkinson's disease is difficult to diagnose, especially in the earlier stages. This is because the symptoms are subtler and more sporadic. However, knowing what symptoms to look for may encourage people to seek medical attention before they progress.

Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease include:

--tremors

--difficulty walking

--cramped or small handwriting

--loss of smell

--sleep problems

--poor balance

--bradykinesia

--facial masking

--voice changes

--stooping or hunched posture

--constipation

--psychological symptoms

--weight loss

Having these symptoms does not always mean that a person has Parkinson's disease. People over the age of 60 should consider speaking with their healthcare provider if they experience any of the symptoms listed above.

Early diagnosis leads to earlier treatment, which can improve a person's overall quality of life.

Article Information has been Collected from: MedicalNewsToday