Parkinson's disease signs and symptoms can be different for everyone. Early signs may be mild and go unnoticed. Symptoms often begin on one side of the body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect the limbs on both sides.
Mild parkinsonian signs (MPS) are common in the elderly population, and have been associated with vascular diseases, mild cognitive impairment and dementia; however their relation to Parkinson's disease (PD) is unclear.
Parkinson's Disease Is a Progressive Disorder
According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, patients usually begin developing Parkinson's symptoms around age 60 and many live between 10 and 20 years after being diagnosed.
Studies show targeted nutrition may slow Parkinson's advancement. Eating a whole-food, plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet — including fresh vegetables, fruit and berries, nuts, seeds, fish, olive and coconut oils and more — may be linked to slower PD progression.
Many people with Parkinson's disease note that prior to experiencing stiffness and tremor, they had sleep problems, constipation, loss of smell, and restless legs. While some of these symptoms may also occur with normal aging, talk with your doctor if these symptoms worsen or begin to interfere with daily living.
While people are diagnosed with Parkinson's at an average age of 60, anything younger than 50 is considered young-onset Parkinson's, or YOPD.
“Movement, especially exercises that encourage balance and reciprocal patterns [movements that require coordination of both sides of your body], can actually slow progression of the disease,” she says.
Some people experience the changes over 20 years or more. Others find the disease progresses more quickly. It is difficult to accurately predict the progression of Parkinson's.
There's currently no cure for Parkinson's disease, but treatments are available to help relieve the symptoms and maintain your quality of life. These treatments include: supportive therapies, such as physiotherapy. medication.
It's not known why the loss of nerve cells associated with Parkinson's disease occurs, although research is ongoing to identify potential causes. Currently, it's believed a combination of genetic changes and environmental factors may be responsible for the condition.
Most people with Parkinson's disease have a normal or near-normal life expectancy. Modern medications and treatments mean that people can manage their symptoms and reduce the occurrence or severity of complications, which might otherwise be fatal.
The symptoms can come and go with suddenness, prompting some to compare it to turning a light switch on and off.
In the early stages of Parkinson's disease, your face may show little or no expression. Your arms may not swing when you walk. Your speech may become soft or slurred. Parkinson's disease symptoms worsen as your condition progresses over time.
Multiple system atrophy – the cousin of Parkinson's disease.
PSP is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease, especially early in the disorder, as they share many symptoms, including stiffness, movement difficulties, clumsiness, bradykinesia (slow movement), and rigidity of muscles. The onset of both diseases is in late middle age.
There isn't a specific test to diagnose Parkinson's disease. A doctor trained in nervous system conditions (neurologist) will diagnose Parkinson's disease based on your medical history, a review of your signs and symptoms, and a neurological and physical examination.
The vast majority of patients see major improvements in their symptoms with treatment that includes exercise and medication. For example, most people who have PD are able to function better in their daily lives five years after they start medication treatment than they were before they started treatment.
About that Parkinson's honeymoon
In general, the first stage of the disease is a honeymoon period that lasts up to eight years, during which patients can live what's practically a normal life, according to Parkinson Québec. It also is the stage during which treatment is most noticeably effective.
Parkinson's disease (PD), like most common disorders, involves interactions between genetic make-up and environmental exposures that are unique to each individual. Caffeinated-coffee consumption may protect some people from developing PD, although not all benefit equally.
People with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease who regularly walk for exercise may improve their motor function, mood, tiredness, fitness and some aspects of thinking abilities, according to a study published in the July 2, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Medication aside, there are many ways people living with Parkinson's disease can improve their health and well-being, preserve physical function, ease symptoms and enhance quality of life. Chief among these are getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated and getting an adequate amount of sleep.
Parkinson's disease does not directly cause people to die, but the condition can place great strain on the body, and can make some people more vulnerable to serious and life-threatening infections. But with advances in treatment, most people with Parkinson's disease now have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.
Anticholinergic drugs are appropriate for younger patients with tremor-dominant PD. Amantadine is mainly used for dyskinesia control. Catechol-O-methyl-transferase inhibitors and neurosurgery are not treatments of choice for early PD but can be very effective for more advanced disease.
It's considered young-onset if diagnosed before the age of 40. The youngest recorded case of Parkinson's was a 12-year-old patient.