Parkinson's Disease starts very slowly, and at first the symptoms are barely noticeable. Over time, as more symptoms pile up, the signs often point to Parkinson's. The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) breaks the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease (PD) into three categories: primary motor symptoms, secondary motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms.
Primary Motor Symptoms
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, tremors are often the first noticeable symptoms of PD. A tremor is an uncontrolled twitch, or movement, of a part of the body. With PD, it usually starts in the fingers and then progresses over time to include the entire arm. It can be local to one side of the body, or include both. Tremors can also occur in the face, mouth, head and feet. The PDF states that tremors often happen during a resting state and therefore are referred to as "resting tremors."
Other primary motor symptoms are slow and incomplete movements, referred to as "Bradykinesia," which includes the inability to start a movement, such as taking a step. Muscle stiffness, loss of balance and poor coordination are the other major motor symptoms of PD.
Secondary Motor Symptoms
Not everyone diagnosed with PD is afflicted with secondary motor symptoms. While most will exhibit one, or some, of them, not everyone will exhibit all of them. Secondary motor symptoms include the loss of the ability to swallow, or to make facial expressions. This inability to control muscles in the face can also result in a change in speech patterns, such as a slurring or lack of tone change, and drooling. Fine motor skills, such as handwriting or using buttons, and a decreased range of movement are also secondary symptoms.
Non-Motor Symptoms
Non-motor symptoms are those that affect the mind and emotions, as well as certain involuntary muscle functions of the body. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that depression is the main psychiatric symptom of PD and that it afflicts 40 percent of those diagnosed with it. It is also an overlooked symptom, since it is a common issue all by itself. Anxiety and paranoia are other psychiatric symptoms, and the Mayo Clinic states that dementia also occurs, often in later stages of the disease.
