Parkinsons

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes coordination issues, including tremors and speech 
impediments. A person may have all or only some of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s disease can cause varying and progressive symptoms throughout its course. Some of the most common symptoms associated with the disease include:

• Difficulty showing facial expressions
• Muscle stiffness
• Slowed, affected movements
• Speech changes
• Tremor, especially of one hand

A person with Parkinsonism may have some, but not all, of the symptoms listed above. This is because they also have an additional disorder that affects the brain’s functioning.

It is very common for people to focus on the physical or motor symptoms of Parkinson’s. However, there are several non-motor symptoms associated with the disease, as well.

Non-motor symptoms include:

• problems with smell
• anxiety
• depression
• vision problems
• fatigue
• cognitive changes, such as memory loss or slow thinking
• insomnia
• problems with speech
• constipation
• difficulty swallowing

It is usual for the symptoms of Parkinson’s to be only slightly bothersome or uncomfortable initially but to get more severe as the disease advances.