Parkinson’s disease is a disease that attacks a person’s nervous system, affecting a patient’s ability to move. It is generally diagnosed in people over the age of 60, and doctors often prescribe medications such as Gocorvi, Austedo, Rytary, Ingrezza, and Carbo Levodopa to control and delay symptom progression. Direct relatives of those with Parkinson’s have a higher probability of developing this disease. While the cause of this Parkinson’s remains unknown, there are several symptoms to watch for as early warning signs:

1. Muscles stiffness
Rigid muscles and stiffness can be a painful experience and common warning sign of Parkinson’s disease. When the muscles become stiff, the person may begin to see a limited range of motion and an increase in pain. It can happen in any part of the body, which can create a variety of problems for the afflicted person. One may begin to shuffle because they are unable to fully lift their foot off the ground, or drag their feet entirely

2. Decreased mobility
As a result of the muscle stiffness and rigidity, the patient will almost certainly notice slower movement and decreased mobility in most things they do. It becomes a difficult task to stand up from a chair or get out of bed in the morning. Simple tasks become almost impossible, which may lead to depression and changes to their normal everyday behavior

3. Tremors
Tremors are probably the most common sign seen in a patient with Parkinson’s disease. It is usually the sign that is noticed first by others, and is one of the most difficult aspects of the disease to deal with. It starts as a slight shaking that usually affects a specific part of the body. As the disease progresses, the shaking becomes more severe, oftentimes making it difficult to hold things such as utensils. This may become so debilitating that the patient is unable to feed themselves

4. Arms that don’t swing when walking
The last early warning sign that is commonly seen in a person with Parkinson’s disease is noticing their arms don’t swing when walking. Because of the way the brain is wired, most people swing their arms while they walk as a natural part of each step taken. When someone with Parkinson’s walks, the neural pathways in their brain are no longer telling every part of the body what to do. Because of this, the person will appear to be a rigid walker due to not swinging their arms. It becomes impossible for the patient to control this, which again can lead to less movement and depression

5. Decreased facial expression
Another warning sign one might notice is decreased facial expression. In the early stages of the disease the face may become unable to show expression. It could appear that the patient looks stoic or deep in thought, but in reality they have lost the ability to have facial expressions at all. Often the person will not realize that they are not making expressions, relying on someone else to tell them. Due to this, it can be one of the last things to be noticed