Experts share 10 easy-to-dismiss signs of Parkinson’s disease – which aren’t tremors
Experts have shared ten little-known warning signs that someone you love—or yourself—is developing Parkinson’s disease, the progressive neurological disorder which took Ozzy Osbourne’s life.
It is estimated in the UK that someone is diagnosed with the illness—which destroys the cells in the part of the brain that controls movement—every 20 minutes.
Worryingly, experts have predicted the number of people living with Parkinson’s worldwide will double to 25 million by 2050.
While there is no cure for the illness, early diagnosis allows time for personalised treatment plans to be put in place to slow the progression of the disease.
Victoria Baggaley, a senior helpline advisor at Parkinson’s UK who offers support for people diagnosed with the condition, has front-line experience in how it can present.
Speaking to The Sun, Ms Baggaley has shared some of the early warning signs of the illness, which can be easily dismissed.
The publication also spoke to Dr Simon Stott, director at Cure Parkinson’s, a charity working to fund and support research to slow, stop or reverse the illness.
He explained that while it is mainly characterised by ‘slowness, rigidity and a resting tremor’, there are ‘more than 40 symptoms’.
While Ozzy Osbourne died from a cardiac arrest he has been battle with ill-health for over 20 years before his death. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003
The first, easily overlooked sign is loss of sense of smell, which studies have shown is common in patients with Parkinson’s.
‘For example, some people may struggle to smell their favourite foods, and this can start years before other symptoms develop,’ said Ms Baggaley.
Equally sleep problems are also common for people developing Parkinsons due to symptoms like stiffness, pain and restlessness leg syndrome.
During the night waking up to pee and sleep apnoea—momentarily stopping breathing when asleep—are also often experienced.
Meanwhile, smaller handwriting is the third little-known sign, that may indicate the condition.
Ms Baggaley explained: ‘Because of changes in the brain, people with Parkinson’s can find their movements become smaller and less forceful than before.
‘This can lead to someone’s handwriting becoming smaller than it previously was or gradually getting tinier on the page.’
Issues with your bladder or bowels is the fourth easy-to-dismiss sign of the illness.
Experts have previously warned problems with your bladder are an early sign of the illness
‘Needing to pee immediately without warning or go frequently throughout the night are the most common bladder symptoms and constipation is the most common bowel problem,’ said Ms Baggaley.
The fifth warning sign is depression—which is experienced by nearly half of people suffering with Parkinson’s disease.
‘This is characterised by feelings of extreme sadness or a sense of emotional emptiness for a long time,’ said Ms Baggaley.
However, it can also present as low energy, increased hunger and difficulty concentrating.
Similarly feeling anxious is a common early warning sign that is easy-to-dismiss—and according to Parkinson’s UK doesn’t only include constant worrying.
It can also include a sense of dread, concentration issues, sweating, breathlessness, a racing heart and dizziness, the charity explains.
The seventh early warning sign is fatigue that doesn’t go away after you have rested—which affects half of Parkinson’s patients.
This isn’t necessarily consistent and can fluctuate day-to-day which can make it easy-to-dismiss.
These early signs can fluctuate which means they can easily brushed off as nothing sinister
Next, while hand tremors are a widely known early sign of the illness, you can have uncontrollable movements in other parts of the body.
It can spread to other parts of the body like to the arm or foot on the same side of the body that it starts.
Slow movement, also known as bradykinesia, is the ninth easy-to-dismiss sign of the illness.
This can mean someone takes longer to do day-to-day tasks like paying for items in a shop and their walking speed may slow to a shuffle.
The final warning sign is stiff muscles, inflexibility and cramps which may arise during simple tasks.
For example, they may struggle to write, tie their own shoes, button up their shirt or get out of bed easily.
If you have any of these symptoms, they don’t necessarily mean you have the illness, but it’s best to speak with your GP.
However, talking to a loved one who you may think is showing signs of Parkinson’s can be difficult.
Parkinson’s UK has tips for having these sorts of difficult conversations on their website.
