Parkinson disease is one example of a progressive illness. This means that as time passes, the symptoms get worse and are mostly irreversible. What this also means is that the early symptoms of Parkinson disease are usually very subtle but grow more pronounced as time passes. As a result, it can be difficult to define whether a person is suffering from the early stages of Parkinson disease or not.

In a lot of cases the individual themselves doesn't actually notice that anything is wrong, but a close relative or loved one does. This could be that they slur their words a little, or are slower going up and down the stairs than usual. They might have become more clumsy lately or their hands have a small tremor. These things are usually attributed to old age, but there are ways to identify if it is indicative of the early symptoms of Parkinson disease too.

How the individual feels in themselves is incredibly important as Parkinson disease has other effects other than simply shaking or having slowed motor skills. The early symptoms of Parkinson disease may include feeling under the weather, more lethargic than usual and having myalgia: a general unwell feeling. They are also likely to notice a change in their motor skills and perhaps speech. It may be harder to do simple tasks, or their handwriting might change and become harder to control. Those who are artists or who have delicate or fiddly hobbies or careers usually notice increased difficulty. One of the other most common symptoms is feeling more rigid than usual. Partners or family might notice that a person's facial expressions become less animated and instead of looking happy they look like their smile is somewhat forced. It's not, of course, but the muscles are not receiving adequate signals to produce a full smile. Symptoms like this are often harder on the carer or relative that they are on the sufferer which is why counseling can be just as important to them as it is to the individual affected.

The single most important thing for someone who thinks they may have the early symptoms of Parkinson disease to do is seek medical help. Early treatment of this disease is the most effective and so you should seek a diagnosis as soon as possible. Even if your doctor or a specialist doesn't think it is Parkinson's they may be able to help diagnose another illness that requires rapid treatment, or keep an eye on your symptoms closely to see that they don't progress.

The early symptoms of Parkinson disease are quite simple toned down symptoms that are experienced later on in the disease. While you may be reluctant to contact your doctor if you have what you think are insignificant symptoms, it's incredibly important to act fast and be vigilant with this illness. Even a matter of weeks could make the different between a person being able to write a letter in one year's time or 5 year's time.

Stan Tian

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