Parkinson’s Disease: Signs, non-motor manifestations one should watch out for

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is debilitating for the patient and it is the need of the hour for the patient to pay enough attention to his/her health and spot non-motor manifestations which are in some cases seen even before one has Parkinson’s. If one has Parkinson’s disease then it is easy to know as he/she will have symptoms such as shaking, rigidity, difficulty walking and moving and imbalance.

Before the onset of Parkinson’s disease (PD), certain things can indicate the person may suffer from this disease in later life and these non-motor manifestations are seen even before the actual symptoms of the disease in some cases. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Pavan Pai, Consultant Interventional Neurologist at Wockhardt Hospitals in Mumbai’s Mira Road, highlighted the non-motor manifestations one should watch out for –

1. Hyposmia: That is a decreased sense of smell or a decreased ability to detect odours through the nose. It is one of the characteristics of this disease.
2. Constipation: If the patient is having chronic constipation that is the inability to pass stools then this can suggest that the person has Parkinson’s if there is slowness of movements as well. It will be essential for one to seek immediate medical attention to determine the underlying cause behind constipation.
3. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder: Means one physically acts out vividly and will have unpleasant dreams with vocal sounds and sudden, violent arm and leg movements that can be a matter of concern.
4. Excess salivation: This is seen when the decreased swallowing causes reduced clearance of the same resulting in drooling which can be problematic and needs prompt management
5. Oily face: This is another sign that one shouldn’t ignore and consult the doctor without any delay if associated with tremors and slowness of movements.
6. Anxiety and depression: These are non-motor features of Parkinson’s Disease. Some people who are depressed seek only psychiatric consultation but they should even consult a neurologist to rule out Parkinson’s if the patient suddenly becomes slow and is not interested in any activities that he/she liked to do earlier or doesn’t feel like taking initiative in anything. If there are depression features along with tremors, slowness of movements on one side, and imbalance while walking then it could be Parkinson’s and it will be a good idea to consult the neurologist

Dr Pavan Pai concluded, “Generally, motor manifestations are treated and non-motor manifestations are overlooked. But, know that even non-motor manifestations are important for Parkinson’s patients. They should be addressed at the right time. These non-motor signs not only help in the early diagnosis of the disease but are beneficial in treating the disease in a holistic manner. Neglecting non-motor symptoms means delaying the diagnosis of the disease which can lead to a poor prognosis.”