According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Parkinson’s disease, primarily characterized by uncontrolled tremors, is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, after Alzheimer’s. Two-thirds of patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s have no family history of the disease. Research is ongoing to determine if the disease is genetic in design or if environmental factors are to blame. The research scientists at the CDC think an interplay of both genetics and environmental factors are key to determining the actual cause of this debilitating disorder.
Primary Motor Symptoms
Motor symptoms affect the ability of the person to move or control bodily movements. The primary motor symptoms experienced by Parkinson’s patients include resting tremors, slow movement, rigidity and impaired balance. According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, resting tremors, or marked trembling, are the most familiar symptom as they are experienced by 70 percent of Parkinson’s patients.
Parkinson’s patients experience bradykinesia, or slow movement, which accounts for the short, shuffling steps seen in patients. Rigidity and stiffness of the muscles is also common and can impair the range of motion of major muscle groups. Postural instability affects balance, and this, combined with all other motor symptoms places Parkinson’s patients at an extremely high risk of falls.
Secondary Motor Symptoms
Not all Parkinson’s patients experience secondary motor symptoms. Stooped posture, fatigue, impaired gross motor skills, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing and impaired sexual function are commonly noted. Some patients also loose the ability to control the muscles of the face, resulting in masking, or the inability to make facial expressions.
Non-motor Symptoms
The non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s do not directly involve movement or the ability to control bodily movements. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation reports that many patients consider these symptoms to be as upsetting as the primary motor symptoms. These symptoms include sleep disturbances, pain, dementia, depression, constipation and body aches. Compulsive behavioral symptoms like gambling and impulse control disorders have been reported by Parkinson’s patients.
