Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.

The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:

involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremor) slow movement stiff and inflexible muscles

A person with Parkinson’s disease can also experience a wide range of other physical and psychological symptoms, including:

depression and anxiety balance problems – this may increase the chance of a fall loss of sense of smell anosmis problems sleeping (insomnia) memory problems

Read more about the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Symptoms

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually develop gradually and are mild at first.

There are many different symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Some of the more common symptoms are described below.

However, the order in which these develop and their severity is different for each individual. It’s unlikely that a person with Parkinson’s disease would experience all or most of these.


The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease affect physical movement:

tremor – shaking, which usually begins in the hand or arm and is more likely to occur when the limb is relaxed and resting slowness of movement (bradykinesia) – where physical movements are much slower than normal, which can make everyday tasks difficult and can result in a distinctive slow, shuffling walk with very small steps muscle stiffness (rigidity) – stiffness and tension in the muscles, which can make it difficult to move around and make facial expressions, and can result in painful muscle cramps (dystonia)

These main symptoms are sometimes referred to by doctors as parkinsonism as there can be causes other than Parkinson’s disease.


Parkinson’s disease can also cause a range of other physical and mental symptoms.


balance problems – these can make someone with the condition more likely to have a fall and injure themselves loss of sense of smell (anosmia) – sometimes occurs several years before other symptoms develop nerve pain – can cause unpleasant sensations, such as burning, coldness or numbness problems with urination – such as having to get up frequently during the night to urinate or unintentionally passing urine (urinary incontinence) constipation an inability to obtain or sustain an erection (erectile dysfunction) in men  difficulty becoming sexually aroused and achieving an orgasm (sexual dysfunction) in women dizziness, blurred vision or fainting when moving from a sitting or lying position to a standing one – caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) – this can lead to malnutrition and dehydration excessive production of saliva (drooling) problems sleeping (insomnia) – this can result in excessive sleepiness during the day


depression and anxiety mild cognitive impairment – slight memory problems and problems with activities that require planning and organisation dementia – a group of symptoms, including more severe memory problems, personality changes, seeing things that aren’t there (visual hallucinations) and believing things that aren’t true (delusions)


As well as the main symptoms of movement problems, people with Parkinson’s disease can experience a wide range of additional symptoms that may need to be treated separately.

These include:

depression and anxiety – this can be treated with self care measures such as exercise, psychological therapy or medication; read more about treating depression problems sleeping (insomnia) – this can be improved by making changes to your normal bedtime routine; read more about treating insomnia erectile dysfunction – this can be treated with medication; read more about treating erectile dysfunction excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) – this can be reduced using a prescription antiperspirant, or surgery in severe cases; read more about treating hyperhidrosis swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) – this can be improved by eating softened food, or by using a feeding tube in more severe cases; read more about treating dysphagia excessive drooling – this can be improved with swallowing exercises, or surgery or medication in severe cases urinary incontinence – this can be treated with exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, medication, or surgery in severe cases; read more about treating urinary incontinence dementia – this can be treated with cognitive therapies and medication in some cases; read more about treating dementia