PD Symptoms
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 your body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect both sides.
Parkinson’s signs and symptoms may include:
- Tremor: A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may a rub your thumb and forefinger back-and-forth, known as a pill-rolling tremor. Your hand may tremor when it’s at rest.
- Slowed movement (bradykinesia): Over time, Parkinson’s disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when you walk. It may be difficult to get out of a chair. You may drag your feet as you try to walk.
- Rigid muscles: Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can be painful and limit your range of motion.
- Impaired posture and balance: Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems as a result of Parkinson’s disease.
- Loss of automatic movements: You may have a decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.
- Speech changes: You may speak softly, quickly, slur or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than with the usual inflections.
- Writing changes: It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small
Incedence of PD
An estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson’s disease.
The prevalence of the disease ranges from 41 people per 100,000 in the fourth decade of life to more than 1,900 people per 100,000 among those who are 80 and older.
The incidence of the disease, or the rate of newly diagnosed cases, generally increases with age, although it can stabilize in people who are older than 80. An estimated 4 percent of people with Parkinson’s are diagnosed before age 50.
Men are 1.5 times more likely to have Parkinson’s than women.