Index
- What are the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
- What exactly is Parkinson's disease?
- The main causes of the disease
- Who are most affected by this pathology?
- How does Parkinson's disease manifest itself?
- The first warning signs and characteristics of the disease
- Physiological symptoms
- Psychological symptoms
What are the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
Among the various neurodegenerative diseases that exist, Parkinson's disease is second only to Alzheimer's. Generally, this pathology affects the elderly. However, younger people may also be affected. Evolving over several years, Parkinson's disease ends up making the person with it dependent. It is also a disabling disease. To better understand this pathology, this article will focus on the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease..
What exactly is Parkinson's disease?
Before we look at the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease, it is important to briefly review what exactly Parkinson's disease is. As mentioned above, Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects the central nervous system. It causes a progressive and irreversible disappearance of neurons in certain areas of the brain. After stroke, Parkinson's disease is the second most common cause of neurologically-induced motor disabilities in the elderly.
This pathology is chronic and the destruction of the neurons it causes causes a dopamine deficiency. This deficit then leads to the various symptoms of the disease. It should be noted that dopamine plays an important role in motor skills. More precisely, it is a neurotransmitter whose function is to allow communication at the level of the nervous system.
The main causes of the disease
There are many factors that cause Parkinson's disease. However, researchers have not yet been able to identify all of them. Between 10 to 15% of cases are genetic in origin. And in the remaining cases, Parkinson's disease is multifactorial. This means that it can be due to multiple causes related to an environmental factor.
- Genetic origin - when the pathology is caused by a genetic predisposition, the person affected is usually under 45 years of age.
- Environmental risk factors - this category of Parkinson's disease causes all the toxic products (heavy metals or pesticides) that can contribute to the development of the disease. However, in the majority of cases, the destruction of neurons only occurs when exposure to these toxic products is combined with a genetic predisposition.
It can also happen that a major trauma can contribute to the onset of the disease. In any case, this remains a hypothesis that scientists have yet to verify.
Who are most affected by this pathology?
In most cases, Parkinson's disease occurs between the ages of 50 and 70. However, in people with genetic predispositions, the early form of the disease can occur before the age of 40. This form of the disease affects 5-10% of diagnosed cases. There is therefore no reason to believe that this disease only affects the elderly. In fact, the popular belief that Parkinson's disease is a pathology linked to ageing sometimes makes it difficult to accept the disease in people under the age of 50.
How does Parkinson's disease manifest itself?
As this condition is progressive, its symptoms also change over the years. To learn a little more about the symptoms of Parkinson's disease from its onset, the following paragraphs review the various manifestations (physical and psychological) of the disease.
The first warning signs and characteristics of the disease
The earliest signs of Parkinson's disease vary from person to person. Moreover, Parkinson's disease does not really start until the symptoms are very noticeable. In any case, effortless trembling (even at rest), slow movement, and clumsiness should alert the patient and those around him or her.
For clarity, the symptoms that characterize Parkinson's disease are as follows:
- Resting tremor - usually this type of tremor affects only one side of the patient's body. It occurs mostly at rest and subsides as the person moves.
- Clumsiness with respect to movement - this symptom is also accompanied by unusually slow movement. This is called bradykinesia. The patient finds it difficult to do certain gestures, even very simple ones (buttoning his shirt, combing his hair, brushing his teeth,...).
- Painful stiffness - this stiffening most often affects the hips and shoulders. This symptom is also accompanied by joint pain. It is one of the first symptoms to appear in the early stages of Parkinson's diesease.
Physiological symptoms
Other physiological damage can also occur in Parkinson's disease. These are mainly :
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Hypersalivation and difficulty swallowing
- Lower blood pressure
- The urge to urinate very frequently
- Loss of smell. This physiological symptom may appear early in Parkinson's disease
- Sleep disorders
The patient may also have difficulty articulating.
Psychological symptoms
Apart from psychological symptoms, psychological signs also occur in Parkinson's disease. The patient may suffer from :
- Apathy
- Depression
- A loss of interest
- Memory loss
- Erectile problems and decreased libido
