Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world; Parkinson’s UK estimates one in 37 Britons will be diagnosed with the condition in their lifetime. Though there is no cure, research into the condition has found some symptoms could begin up to 20 years before a diagnosis. An expert explains current research into Parkinson’s and the early symptoms to look out for.
Many people have heard of Parkinson’s but few know the symptoms to look out for that could lead to a Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Although the most well-known symptom is developing a tremor, there are many more symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Some symptoms affect movement, and some don’t, but research shows the onset of Parkinson’s could start 10, 15 or even 20 years before a diagnosis.
Dr Alastair Noyce, senior consultant neurologist at Barts Health NHS Trust and lead of the Preventive Neurology Unit at the Wilson Institute of Population Health, specialises in the factors making people more likely to develop Parkinson’s.
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Dr Noyce explains: “What we know is before people get a diagnosis, they consult their GPs with a whole range of different symptoms over 10 – even as far back as 20 years – prior to diagnosis.
“These include things like constipation, changes in bowel habits, anxiety, depression, changes in sense of smell, sleep disorders.
“And sometimes people have movement symptoms, tremor or stiffness many years before they get an eventual diagnosis, but for whatever reason, the signs and symptoms that allow us to make a diagnosis of Parkinson’s are not established enough at that point, and so they don’t get a diagnosis.”
To get a diagnosis of Parkinson’s you need to first present your GP with a “story” Dr Noyce explains.
In the case of Parkinson’s would be the gradual onset of symptoms and “progressive changes in movement which may be slowing down, stiffness and a tremor.”
Next there is a neurological examination to look for other features of Parkinson’s, which would take place with a specialist.
Following the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, if Parkinson’s is suspected, the patient will be referred to a specialist for examination and diagnosis.
However, research has shown even in people who have been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, significant changes have taken place in their brains.
Dr Noyce says: “If people die soon after the point of diagnosis you can see the areas of the brain that are most affected have already lost 50 to 60 percent of the cells in that part of the brain.
“So that suggests that disease has been going on for quite a long time before people got a diagnosis.
“If you look in the brains of people that didn’t have a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, about 10 percent of seemingly healthy older people have some of the changes of Parkinson’s disease but, as far as we know, didn’t have symptoms in life.”
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Non-motor symptoms, sometimes called the ‘invisible’ symptoms of Parkinson’s, could include:
- Fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Bladder and bowel problems
- Sweating problems
- Changes to sense of smell
- Difficulty sleeping
An early diagnosis of Parkinson’s can help to get a person specialist care early on, which should help alleviate their symptoms.
Dr Noyce says: “Parkinson’s is not a curable condition, but it is treatable. So if people have symptoms, there is treatment we can give them to improve their symptoms.”
In addition to improving the unpleasant symptoms of Parkinson’s, being able to see people with the early stages of Parkinson’s could progress research on intervention and effective treatments.
Early symptoms of Parkinson’s can be incredibly varied between patients, and Dr Noyce emphasises, aren’t exclusive to Parkinson’s.
Complaints like constipation, which can be a symptom of Parkinson’s, could be down to a number of different reasons.
Dr Noyce adds one common early symptom is losing your sense of smell.
He says: “People often don’t know they’ve lost their sense of smell, but people who have their sense of smell tested and it’s abnormal, and there’s no other cause, are at higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.”
If you have any symptoms concerning you, or you think could be Parkinson’s, you should speak to your GP as soon as you can.