Early Warning Signals of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a difficult condition to diagnose. There are no specific laboratory tests to help confirm a diagnosis. Patients can go for years with symptoms before a proper diagnosis is made. Many of the early signs can be very subtle and not automatically connected with a serious medical condition. In addition, Parkinson's disease affects each person in a different way, which means you may get some symptoms and not others. A well trained physician will make a diagnosis based on the history of a person's symptoms along with the results of a physical examination. If you think you may be developing Parkinson's disease, be on the lookout for common signs and keep track off them so that you can discuss them with your doctor.

General Symptoms

According to the National Parkinson's Foundation general symptoms that could indicate Parkinson's disease include your handwriting becoming smaller and cramped and your voice getting softer so others have a hard time hearing you. Your speech can become rapid and you may speak in a monotone voice. There can be a tendency to slur your words or repeat yourself. Other signs are that you may no longer show expression on your face and you may tend to stare and not blink in a normal manner.

Resting Tremors

A common early sign of Parkinson's disease is the development of resting tremors, according to the National Parkinson's Disease Foundation. The tremors can be very mild at first and only happen on occasion. It may happen in a very small area of the body, such as in a finger, a toe, in the face and/or the jaw. Tremors tend to happen when the affected area is being held still and unsupported and the tremors stop with movement. Tremors tend to occur on just one side of the body in the initial stages. Another common tremor in the early stages is referred to as a finger-thumb rubbing motion or pill-rolling tremor.

Changes in Gait

Another early sign of Parkinson's is that you start to shuffle when you walk and you may tend to take quick short steps instead of normal strides. The Mayo Clinic states that you may also hold your arms stiff when walking instead of swinging them in a natural manner. You may also have a harder time maintaining your balance. You may notice that you stoop forward and walk with rounded shoulders.

Other Signs

In the early stages of the disease, you may also notice that you tend to drool and have difficulty swallowing. You may find that you have less flexibility and your muscles feel rigid and stiff.