Early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are subtle and occur gradually. Patients may be tired or notice a general malaise. Some may feel a little shaky or have difficulty getting out of a chair. They may notice that they speak too softly or that their handwriting looks cramped and spidery. They may lose track of a word or thought, or they may feel irritable or depressed for no apparent reason. This very early period may last a long time before the more classic and obvious symptoms appear.
Also, symptoms tend to progress slowly. Early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may last a long time before the more classic and obvious symptoms appear. These early symptoms may even be attributed to the normal effects of aging or other medical conditions, such as arthritis.
Resting Tremor is a slight shakiness in the hand when the hand is at rest. The shakiness or trembling goes away when you move the hand to do something. For example, the shakiness stops when you pick up a book or a cup and so forth. The tremor may extend to the leg or foot on the same side and sometime to the lips and jaw. You might even feel an internal tremor as if the trembling is deep within your body.
Difficulty with walking (gait disturbance) and balance (postural instability). A person with Parkinson’s disease is likely to take small steps and shuffle with his or her feet close together, bend forward slightly at the waist (stooped posture), and have trouble turning around. Balance and posture problems may result in frequent falls. However, these problems usually do not develop until later in the course of the disease.
When you wake up you notice that the shaking subsists, worried you call the doctor and set-up an early morning appointment. After meeting with the doctor for only a few minutes he says all signs point to Parkinson’s disease. After a few months the tremors become worse and it is much more difficult to do some of the small things that seemed so meniscule, a couple of years later the disease becomes so progressive that you have to quit your job much earlier than anticipated and focus your energy and attention on your health. I won’t go any further but this is the happenings of many people who develop Parkinson’s.
