Natural Health Care

What are the symptoms of PD?

The main symptoms of PD are:

- Trembling, especially at rest, with typical gestures such as passing coins.

- Stiffness of the limbs.

- Lack of initiative at the time of speaking, gesturing or walk, and slowness of movement (bradykinesia).

- Walking instability (tilting forward, difficulty in changing positions and occasional lapses).

Other symptoms include flat affect, decreased manual dexterity, writing difficulties, sleep disturbances, bed-wetting, depression, anxiety, leakage of saliva. Are frequent constipation, dry skin and difficulty in changing position in bed, and to turn corners, walking.The symptoms are insidious, very slow presentation and evolution, and are often invisible at first. Initially, the first two years, affecting one side of the body, and eventually progress involving the other side. The initial symptom is shivering and is the main reason for consulting the doctor, although 30% of patients do not present it. In these cases it is more difficult to reach the diagnosis.

How does the doctor make the diagnosis of PE?

To make the diagnosis is sufficient to observe the typical symptoms and perform a complete physical and neurological examination. Clinical signs, such as stiffness of the fingers of the hand or shoulder, or loss of movement of arm swing when walking may be a subtle form of onset of this disease.

Unlike other diseases, there is no PE imaging test to make a definitive diagnosis. However, tests such as SPECT or PET (Positron Emission Tomography) can be used in some cases to support the diagnosis. These procedures can detect a deficiency of dopamine in the brain, but are sophisticated and are not used routinely.

Are there other diseases related to the PE?

Yes there are. Some diseases such as multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, pseudo-vascular parkinsonism and progressive supranuclear palsy can be similar to the EP. The existence of other symptoms and signs differentiate these diseases.

Parkinsonism may also occur (tables with signs and symptoms similar to those of the EP) as a result of certain drug treatments (for medication side effects) and older sedatives, anti-psychotic drugs and some medicines for vertigo and nausea. Fortunately, these symptoms are usually reversible after discontinuation of medication.

credit to: Dr. Jimmy Alfonso Schieman Delgado, Dr. G. Hotton, Dr. K. Ray Chaudhuri

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