Symptoms and progression
Parkinson disease is referred to as a progressive disorder. This means that the symptoms of the disease gradually worsen over time (a period of years). Symptoms usually appear slowly and, at first, a symptom such as tremor often only affects one side of the body. However, some people will display less common symptom patterns in the early disease stages, and this makes their condition less typical and more difficult to recognise.
Some of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's disease are described in more detail in this section - see main symptoms and other symptoms. It is important to remember that not all symptoms are found in all patients.
Progression of Parkinson's disease symptoms
Roll your mouse over each section of the graphic below to see the symptoms associated with each stage of Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease symptoms
Find out more about the progression of Parkinson's disease and how to tell if symptoms are indicative of Parkinson's disease or a related disorder.
Many symptoms of Parkinson's disease are worsened by stress and anxious situations, and may be improved by proper rest and sleep. Click here to read about the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
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Please note that this document is part of the Parkinson's disease handbook. Please fell free to download the full Parkinson's disease handbook from the right-hand toolbox if you would like to learn more.
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