Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder, and the symptoms of this condition worsen with time. In many cases, the symptoms are barely noticeable in the beginning. It cannot be cured, but an early diagnosis can help doctors prescribe medication that controls the rate at which the disease progresses and regulates the activity of certain regions of the brain. Thus, it is important to be able to recognize the signs associated with this condition.

Causes of Parkinson’s disease
The exact cause of this condition is unknown as of yet. Some of the factors that may play a role in the progression of this condition include certain genetic mutations and environmental triggers. In this gradually debilitating disease, the neurons in the brain gradually disintegrate and die. Sometimes, the presence of Lewy bodies or specific clumps in the brain cells can also cause this ailment.

Some other risk factors are age, heredity, gender, and exposure to toxins.

• People above the age of 60 are more susceptible to this disease.
• Having a close relative suffering from Parkinson’s might increase your risk of getting it.
• Men are more susceptible to Parkinson’s than women.
• Exposure to pesticides may also increase the risk of getting Parkinson’s disease

Early signs and symptoms
Parkinson’s disease affects people differently, and the symptoms associated with this disease are often different for all patients. The symptoms usually begin to be noticed on one side of the body and slowly begin to affect the other side of the body as well. However, the symptoms experienced on the first side of the body are usually worse. Here are some of the common symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.

• Tremors
  Tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease are usually noticed first in the fingers and toes. The patient’s hand may even tremble when it is at rest. In other instances, it can be seen as a repetitive action of rubbing the thumb and forefinger back and forth. This is also known as a pill-rolling tremor.
• Slow movement
  As this condition progresses, the person’s movement may get slowed down, which is also known as bradykinesia. Slowed down movements can make completing even simple tasks tough. As the disease progresses, the person’s steps become shorter and their pace of walking may slow down. The person may also develop a tendency of dragging their feet while walking, and it may be difficult for the person to get in and out of a chair.
• Rigidity
  Parkinson’s disease affects the muscles and makes them more stiff. This stiffness can affect the muscles of any part of the body, resulting in the person’s movements becoming limited and painful.
• Impaired posture
  The rigidity of muscles can affect a person’s posture and give them a stooped appearance. This, in turn, can affect a person’s balance and cause problems for them when standing and walking.
• Changes in speech
  Parkinson’s disease also affects the muscles of the face and mouth. This can make the person’s speech seem monotonous instead of having the usual inflexions. It may also make the person slur while speaking and make them speak at a lower than normal volume, with the speech also being slow.
• Loss of unconscious movements
  Some movements such as smiling and blinking often happen without any conscious effort. These are known as automatic or unconscious movements. Parkinson’s disease can decrease a person’s ability to perform such movements. Another common unconscious movement that is affected by this condition is the swinging of the arms while walking.