What do you know about Parkinson’s disease (PD)?
When it comes to mental health, everybody is scared of what might happen. Or at least they should be, because the mind is even more powerful than the body, and if there’s something going on in your mind, the physical body will soon follow.
Believe it or not, Parkinson’s disease is a type of dementia, which means that it affects the state of your mind first and then your body. Speaking of which, you or someone you care about might have been aware of the tremor symptom of Parkinson’s disease prior to a diagnosis.
There are a wide variety of symptoms that might be brought on by this, but the most typical ones include shaking, trouble talking, losing balance, bad posture, and trouble walking. But when someone is diagnosed with this health problem, it might be hard to tell if some symptoms are caused by the illness or by something else.
In addition to that, you might not realize that you can get help for your symptoms of Parkinson’s disease if you are aware that they’re indeed symptoms related to this health issue.
Hearing about a symptom you haven’t noticed before might be frightening, but information is power, so if you know what’s going on, you can receive the treatment you need. Here are some unusual signs you might have Parkinson’s disease:
1. Anxiety and depression
According to research, roughly half of the people who are diagnosed with this disease might experience some kind of emotional distress due to the condition. Someone’s mood might fluctuate for a variety of reasons, and many patients said that they’ve experienced a wide range of emotions, from sadness, daytime sleepiness, and loss of interest to irritability and trouble sleeping.
Besides that, those who suffer from anxiety typically report being “on edge,” a state characterized by excessive worry or concern. Sometimes, they’re so worried about what’s going to happen that they can’t focus on their actual lives.
2. Loss of smell
You might think of COVID-19 when you hear about health issues that are associated with smell loss, but this symptom is also one of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s illness.
In conformity with recent studies, more than 90% of patients are also diagnosed with severe olfactory loss. People with this health problem lose their sense of smell in both nostrils and in all parts of the nose.
Also, most people with PD have a diminished sense of smell, although not everyone with a diminished sense of smell goes on to get PD.
In fact, hyposmia, or a diminished sense of smell, is typically an early symptom of Parkinson’s, which is exactly why your doctor asks you about your smell when you go for a check-up.
In retrospect, you could see that you had been losing your sense of smell for years, if not decades, before you were diagnosed with this severe health concern.
3. Orthostatic hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease that can cause falls, syncope, dizziness, trouble thinking, shortness of breath, fatigue, blurred vision, shoulder, neck, or low-back pain when standing up.
Besides OH, patients might also experience a decrease in blood pressure while changing postures, like getting up from a seated to an upright position. Lightheadedness and dizziness are possible symptoms of orthostatic hypotension, so everything is linked together.
4. Fatigue
Most people who are diagnosed with something, like COVID-19, mental health problems, physical health problems, or even big changes in their lives, have fatigue as one of their symptoms.Despite how unbelievable it sounds,
Parkinson’s disease is no exception, and according to research, even if the majority of symptoms are mild, people with PD often experience fatigue early on in the condition’s progression.
What’s interesting about this is that it’s possible to feel exhausted without experiencing any other symptoms, but it’s also possible to have additional problems, such as trouble sleeping, discomfort, or even despair. Fatigue might be triggered and worsened by stress, which is exactly why patients need to call their doctors ASAP.
5. Cognitive problems
Despite how unbelievable it sounds, Parkinson’s disease is a concern that affects your mental health. Memory loss, an inability to multitask, and a lack of focus are just a few of the cognitive impairment symptoms that some people with Parkinson’s might face.
Besides that, it’s also possible to suffer from a combination of this health concern and dementia. If you want to find out more about this topic, check out this article: 7 Worst Types of Dementia and How to Identify Yours!
As doctors say, people who suffer from PD might experience trouble focusing, being distracted and disorganized, and also having trouble finishing their tasks.
6. Masked faces
You use your muscles every day to tackle your activities, such as running errands, taking care of your grandkids, doing laundry, smiling, driving, explaining something to a family member, and so many other things.
The possibility of utilizing facial cues might be affected by a wide range of neurological and mental disorders. Reduced facial expressivity, often known as “masked faces,” is a common sign of PD.
In patients with bradykinesia, their ability to move freely and quickly decreases or disappears altogether. You could walk more slowly than usual, or you might stop swinging your arm as much. Some sources say that you might also have PD if you try to hide or minimize how your emotions show on your face. This is called “facial masking.”
7. Voice volume
Another symptom PD patients might experience is speaking softly and with little variation in tone. Short, abrupt bursts of speech are often generated, with awkward gaps between sentences and lengthy delays before really speaking. Other than that, slurred speech is also possible.
According to experts, people who sing are also affected by this because their voices are no longer as strong as they once were, and they must perform exercises and use various techniques to strengthen their vocal cords again.
8. Dystonia
Dystonia refers to a group of symptoms characterized by involuntary muscular twisting, spasm, or cramping, and it might manifest at different times of day and at varying Parkinson’s disease stages. This serious symptom is often the 1st sign of PD in young people, but it can happen at any time.
Dystonia is a painful movement disorder often experienced by people with this health concern. Moreover, this typically happens 1st thing in the morning, when dopamine levels are naturally low after the effects of sleep aids have worn off.
If your doctor gave you medication to treat this illness, as soon as you take your 1st dosage of Parkinson’s medicine every day, the cramping sensation should ease off.
Even though it’s uncommon, dystonia might manifest in different areas of the body and can come and go throughout the day regardless of when medicine is taken. You could also experience strong twisting movements, like the head snapping to one side or in toward the chest.
9. Constipation
The last symptom on our list is constipation. People with Parkinson’s disease often have trouble digesting food and going to the bathroom. We now know that these problems often start a long time before the tremors and movement problems that usually lead to a visit to a neurologist.
Even though there are many potential causes of constipation, it’s certain that people living with Parkinson’s disease have difficulties with bowel movements.
…If you think that you might suffer from PD, it’s best to call your doctor ASAP, so that you can receive the proper treatment!
…We previously said that being informed is powerful, so if you’re interested in learning more about mental health and diseases, we recommend checking out our website. Until next time, here is a good article for you: Mental Health Struggles: 7 Usual (and True) Things People Go Through!
