Parkinson’s disease is a neurological movement disorder. The disease starts slowly and worsens with time and is incurable. People start facing this problem because there is an area of the brain called the substantia nigra that becomes impaired or dies. And, it is also found that gene mutation plays a role in Parkinson’s disease. This causes abnormal cell functioning, which affects the nerve cell’s ability to release dopamine, and kills nerve cells. As a result, people face stiffness in muscles, impaired posture, and slowed movement in the body.
According to medical studies, people above the age of 60 years are more likely to fall prey to Parkinson’s disease. Now we are witnessing that our youth also are falling into the hands of this untreatable disease. Let’s find out about its signs and symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
Not everyone who has Parkinson’s disease faces similar symptoms. It varies from person to person. Some have mild symptoms and others have severe it all differs. The problem starts from the early stage and goes to till advanced stage.
Early-stage
The early-stage sign is mild and does not affect on person’s day-to-day activities. It is very hard to detect in the initial phase as one feels it is a sign of ageing and ignores it completely. It feels like fatigue and uneasiness which is common in a normal routine lifestyle.
Mid-stage
In this stage, a person develops more problems as the situation worsens. They find a lot more common issues in their regular lifestyle. Like they fall more often, there are problems with writing, bathing, and dressing, among others.
Mid-late stage
A person finds difficulty even in walking and requires the help of a walker. In this case, many people chose to stay at home.
Advanced stage
This stage makes your condition so worse that you will get bedridden. You require support from a wheelchair to go anywhere.
Tremor: A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, of your hands or fingers. It is fully capable of affecting your whole body and often disappears while the person is sleeping.
Slowed movement (bradykinesia): This creates a lot of problems in movement. It slows down your body movement by not giving signals from your brain. The symptoms are so unpredictable that in a moment it changes and you have a good body movement.
Stiff muscles: It makes your muscles stiff and does not let it relax them in the normal way. It also limits the range of your movement in the body like you will face problems in smiling, blinking, writing, walking, or talking and resulting in aches and pain later in the day.
Impaired posture and balance: This problem creates a lot of trouble for you, as it affects each step. It makes your body lean in a forward direction which can make you bump or fall on the floor. People also face problems with walking naturally as it affects the walking style and it feels like your leg is stuck on the floor.
Cramps: A person feels muscle cramps in their body which results in severe pain. This can also lead to dystonia in other parts of the body.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be taken as professional medical advice. Please consult a doctor before starting any fitness regime or medical advice.