Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Symptoms of PD begin mildly. They will worsen over time.

Symptoms include:

• "Pill-rolling" tremor in the hands
• Tremors are present at rest, improve with movement, and are absent during sleep
• Stiffness and rigidity of muscles, usually beginning on one side of the body
• Difficulty and shuffling when walking
• Short steps
• Slowness of purposeful movements
• Trouble performing usual tasks, due to shaking in hands
• Trouble speaking
• Flat, monotonous voice
• Stuttering
• Shaky, spidery handwriting
• Poor balance
• Difficulty with rising from a sitting position
• “Freezing”
• Anxiety
• Seborrhea (a skin problem that causes a red rash and white scales)
• Loss of smell
• Tendency to fall
• Stooped posture
• Increasingly mask-like face, with little variation in expression
• Trouble chewing and swallowing
• Depression
• Dementia
• Difficulty thinking, problems with memory
• Decreased sense of smell
• Sleep problems such as REM-behavior disorder