Parkinson’s disease affects brain cells that produce dopamine, leading to movement disorders such as tremors, slowness, stiffness, and balance issues. It’s a lifelong and progressive disease that can also cause constipation, depression, and memory problems. Symptoms vary among people with Parkinson’s, and there is no way to predict when or how severe they will be.
Although the exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is still unknown, scientists believe it’s a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. Having two or more of these four significant symptoms is the primary way physicians diagnose Parkinson’s:
- Postural instability: difficulty balancing, which can increase the risk of falling
- Bradykinesia: slowness of spontaneous and automatic movements, making everyday functions difficult
- Tremors: rhythmic back-and-forth movement, often in the hands
- Rigidity: resistance to movement due to contracted and stiff muscles