What are the Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease?

The kind and severity of symptoms will depend on the stage of the disease.  There is also variation in the presentation of the disease in different individuals.

Common symptoms of Parkinson's disease include:

1. Tremors:

Tremors refer to the involuntary shaking of the hand, arm or leg.  In Parkinson's disease, the tremors tend to be worse on one side, and typically occurs at rest and subsides when the person moves the affected limb (as opposed to "movement tremors" found in other brain conditions, such as cerebellar diseases).  When observing the fingers of someone with Parkinson's, a "pill-rolling" rest tremor is often seen.  This is found in up to 80-90% of patients with Parkinson's disease.

2. Muscle rigidity:

The muscles tend to become stiff and hard in Parkinson's.  This contributes to the reduced arm swing typically seen in the gait of someone with Parkinson's.

3. Bradykinesia:

This refers to generalized slow movements.  Patients with Parkinson's disease tend to take a long time to get out off a chair, or get out of bed.

4. Gait Disturbances and Postural Instability:

Patients with Parkinson's in the more advanced stages, have the classical stooped, shuffling gait.  They take very small, shuffling steps, are slightly stooped forward and have reduced swinging of the arms.  Making turns and stopping can be slow and difficult.  These balance and posture problems also make Parkinson's patients more prone to falls.

5. Weakness of the Throat and Face Muscles:

Weakness of the muscles of the face and throat make talking and swallowing difficult.  The speech of someone with Parkinson's may be soft, slow and monotonous.  There is often a expressionless, fixed look on the face, often referred to as a "Mask-like facies" or "Parkinson's mask".  They are also more prone to drooling and choking when eating.

Find a Neurologist