ent. It is oftenresponsible for a mask-like expression of the face. In some patients, rigidity leads tosensations of pain, especially in the arms and shoulders.Bradykinesia is the slowness of movement a person with Parkinson’s disease willusually have. This symptom is characterized by a delay in initiating movements, causedby the brains slowness in transmitting the necessary instructions to the appropriate partsof the body. when the instructions have been received, the body responds slowly incarrying them out.Poor balance also tends to affect people with Parkinson’s disease. This is mainlytrue when they move harshly, causing a sudden change in the position of their bodies. Some patients experience repeated falls due to poor balance.Walking problems commonly include a decreased or non-existent arm swing,short shuffling steps, difficulty in negotiating turns, and sudden freezing spells that makea person unable to take their next step.People with Parkinson’s disease may also suffer from many secondary symptoms. These include depression, sleep disturbances, dizziness, hunched posture, constipation,dementia, and problems with speech, breathing, swallowing, and sexual function. Also,it is important to take notice that different patients experience different symptoms.Although there is no specific tests for Parkinson’s disease, there are several waysof making a diagnosis. No blood test can detect the disease. Usually a diagnosis isbased on a neurological exam that covers evaluation of the patients symptoms and theirstiffness. Some kinds of x-rays can help a doctor make sure nothing else is causing yoursymptoms. But x-rays cannot show whether the person has Parkinson’s disease or not. Ifsymptoms are serious enough, a trial test of anti-Parkinson’s drugs may be used. If thesymptoms go away or get better when the person takes a medicine called Levodopa, it’sfairly certain that the person has P...
