Medical Keywords - Everything you need to know about health.

Early Symptoms of Parkinson's That Make Doctor's Suspicious

It is rare that a patient will begin the diagnosis process with neurologist; typically it is a general practitioner or family doctor that notices the early signs of Parkinson's disease. What are some of the early signs or symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

Some of the early signs or symptoms of Parkinson's that a doctor may notice in a patient is when the patient complains of not sleeping well, or when the patient loses weight for no explainable reason, or when the patient presents with not being able to make decision or when the patient is depressed or apathetic about life. The patient may also be observed to be s"lowing down" in regards to physical movements. The patient may feel lightheaded when rising to a standing position, or experience difficulty in communicating such as slurred or slow speech or taking longer than normal to name things. The patient may complain of sexual dysfunction, pain in the large joints, or may complain of having vision problems that do not respond to eyeglass prescription changes. Another common complaint is that the individual may have difficulty identifying common odors. The individual may if asked admit to having difficulty making quick decisions.

Upon examination, the doctor may notice slowness of movement, rigidity of body parts, tremors, and loss of the ability to stay erect or other postural implications.

Sometimes the early signs of Parkinson's disease are so subtle that only the trained eye can pick them up, otherwise they may be missed. It is in fact, difficult to diagnosis Parkinson's disease in the early stages. Approximately 8 to 35% of cases are misdiagnosed; so difficult is making the correct diagnosis. At the present time there is no laboratory test that can be used to accurately diagnose Parkinson's disease.

It is beneficial to take a complete medical and personal history as well as a list of any and all symptoms. A list of all current medications that are being taken including prescription, non-prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin and mineral supplements as well as any herbal remedies. Exposure to known chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides and other environmental toxins should also be ascertained from the patient.

Symptoms that patients or their friends or family members may notice include feeling more tired than usual, and getting shaky or having difficulty getting out of a chair or up from a couch. They may be told that they speak too softly or that it is difficult to read what they write as their handwriting has become smaller and more cramped looking than the usual handwriting. The patient may notice that they often lose their train of thought, or may be accused of being more irritable than normal. They may admit to being more depressed and may not even know why. The individual may be stiff, or unsteady, unbalanced or just plain slow while walking. As the disease progresses the tremors may be more obvious to the patient and to those around them. The tremor typically will begin in the hand. The tremors can also appear in the foot, face or jaw. The individual may complain of aches, pain or of feeling stiff or weak. Their arm or leg movements may be jerky, short or with rigidity. There may be a noticeable lack of automatic movement such as swinging of arms while walking.