Parkinson's Symptoms

Many people who display the most common symptoms of Parkinson's never experience anything worse. However, if the subtle symptoms shift, patients may notice things like:

• more tremor
• increased muscle stiffness
• noticeable slowness of movement
• difficulty swallowing and speaking
• sexual problems (in men)

In cases where these symptoms are present, the disease can be managed successfully for many, many years, especially with the help of prescription drugs.

The later stages
As PD progresses, symptoms may get more serious and include:

• problems maintaining balance
• periods of extreme confusion or hallucinations
• severe depression or withdrawal

PD happens most commonly to middle-aged and elderly people; only 10% of people with PD are under the age of 40. About a million Americans are believed to suffer from PD. Approximately 50,000 new cases are reported every year.

Emotional and non-motor symptoms
Not all symptoms of PD have to do with movement. People with Parkinson’s disease can also experience the following symptoms, whether or not they are experiencing movement (motor) difficulties:

• depression
• arthritis
• anxiety
• heart disease
• diabetes
• osteoporosis
• handwriting problems
• loss of sense of smell
• sleep disturbances or nightmares
• loss of energy

In fact, many people say that in the long run, they suffer more from the effects of these symptoms than from movement-related symptoms. There are many ways to combat emotional and non-motor symptoms. Start by asking your doctor, then try looking into the resources section of this site.