Two Sneaky Signs May Indicate Parkinson's In Your Future, New Study Says

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a horrible disorder that brings on progressive systems, compromising motor control and even memory. According to Parkinson's Foundation, this neurodegenerative condition disturbs neurons in the brain, the section known as substantia nigra. PD symptoms can vary in each individual's case, and they usually progress at a slow pace over years. Although it's not a fatal disease, a cure for it doesn't exist. Some patients can receive surgery and medications for some relief, but the symptoms of this disease can present serious complications, ranking it as the 14th cause of mortality in the country. Most recently, two things have been identified as potential early warning signs of Parkinson's. Read on to learn more about these warning signs, and next, be sure to check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

What causes this disease?

closeup older individual with Parkinson's disease holding spoon with rice — Shutterstock

What causes Parkinson's disease? Unfortunately, the culprit is still unknown, but we do know the symptoms individuals may encounter. The deteriorating disease can create walking and balancing difficulties, stiff limbs, bradykinesia (the slow and impaired movement of the limbs), and tremors in the hands, legs, jaw, arms, or head.

These two early warning signs of Parkinson's were discovered during a recent study

patient having hearing problems checked by doctor, early sign of Parkinson's — Shutterstock

A new study was conducted at Queen Mary University of London, where researchers observed pre-diagnostic systems and risk contributors of Parkinson's in a diverse group of individuals. Researchers scrutinized the medical data of more than 1 million individuals from the period 1990 to 2018. Data published in JAMA Neurology reveals interesting findings. Epilepsy and hearing loss were found to be two early signs of Parkinson's disease. This information may be instrumental for medical providers in diagnosing and treating Parkinson's patients at the beginning stages of their journey.

Lead study author Cristina Simonet, MD stated, "Our results uncovered novel risk factors and early symptoms: epilepsy and hearing loss," adding, "It's important that primary care practitioners are aware of these links and understand how early the symptoms of Parkinson's can appear, so that patients can get a timely diagnosis."

How many people are affected by this disease in the U.S. and the world

closeup older woman with Parkinson's disease reaching for water glass — Shutterstock

According to Parkinson's Foundation, close to a million individuals in the country have Parkinson's, and it's predicted to be 1.2 million people when we reach 2030. This number exceeds the total number of patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and Lou Gehrig's disease combined. Each year, almost 60,000 Parkinson's diagnoses are made in the U.S. Men have a 1.5 increased risk of developing Parkinson's. Over 10 million individuals in the world live with Parkinson's every day, and every bit of progress in research for this debilitating disease is extraordinary.