10 Early Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Michael J. Fox was a 29-year-old actor who woke up one morning and noticed his little finger shaking. What he thought was a side effect of a hangover actually was an early symptom of Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that has no known cause. Nearly a million people in the United States live with the disease.

Some symptoms of the disease are easy to see, while others are hard even for a trained healthcare professional to detect.
The National Parkinson Foundation offers these 10 early warning signs of Parkinson’s disease:

1. Tremor or shaking of a body part
2. Small handwriting – your handwriting changes to become smaller
3. Loss of smell
4. Trouble sleeping
5. Trouble moving or walking
6. Constipation
7. Soft or low voice – your voice changes to be softer
8. Masked or serious look on your face even when you’re not in a bad mood
9. Dizziness or fainting
10. Stooping or hunching over

No one symptom necessarily means that you have the disease; the symptom may be caused by another condition. However, if you feel you are experiencing symptoms, don’t hesitate to visit your physician.