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Parkinson's disease symptomsUnderstanding Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease is a disease which affects the control of muscles and affects the movement, speech and posture. It is a degenerative disease of the body's central nervous system and one which is often characterised by hand tremor, slow physical movement and rigidity of the muscles. The excessive muscle contraction that is foremost in Parkinson's disease is caused by insufficient formation of Dopamine, which is a chemical which is naturally produced in our body. While the majority of Parkinson's disease has no known cause it can sometimes be caused through head trauma, toxicity, genes and other medical disorders. The main symptoms of Parkinson's disease The number one symptom of Parkinson's disease is how it affects the movement; other typical symptoms are mood disorders, changes in the behaviour, changes in the ways of thinking and changes in sensation. Symptoms occurring can range from person to person with progression of the disease also being distinctly individual. The motor skills symptoms The symptoms which are chiefly present are: * Tremor - one of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's disease is tremor of the hands, this is more noticeable when the hands are at complete rest. However it is thought that around 30% of the people who have Parkinson's disease have very little tremor, these people are generally classed as akinetic-rigid. * Rigidity - this includes stiffness of the joints and when combined with tremor will produce a ratchety rigidity when the limbs are passively moved. * Akinesia - this is slowness or absence of movement * Postural instability - this often results in the person falling due to impaired balance down to the loss of postural reflexes. * Shuffling - the person when walking will very often take short steps with their feet barely leaving the ground, very often the person will trip over small obstacles in their path. * Problems turning - the person will keep their neck and trunk rigid when turning instead of just turning their head to look, this usually requires the person to take several small steps to make a turn. * Stooped posture - in severe or progressive forms of Parkinson's disease the person's head and upper body may become bent at a right angle to the trunk. * Speaking softly - the speech of the person may become hoarse, quiet and monotonous. * Drooling - the person may often drool, this is thought to be down to the inability to swallow properly and the persons gait. * Dysphagia - the person can lose all ability to swallow and this can lead to aspiration and eventually death. * Fatigue - the person will easily get tired over 50% of sufferers are thought to be affected by tiredness and fatigue. Non motor skill symptoms * Depression - depression is thought to affect between 30 to 80% of all people suffering from Parkinson's disease. * Slowed reaction times - the persons voluntary and involuntary responses will show a significant delayed reaction. * Dementia - dementia will often occur in about 20 to 40% of all people suffering, this will be a later development in the disease. * Memory loss - memory loss is common particularly procedural memory loss rather than declarative. * Pain - sufferers can experience pain in their joints, muscles and tendons. Diagnosis Currently there are no tests which can accurately determine Parkinson's disease; it is usually diagnosed by way of medical history and a neurological examination. Parkinson's disease is one disease that is hard to diagnose as the early onset and symptoms of the disease are often mistaken as the effects of normal ageing. |
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