Most people think of Parkinson’s Disease as something that only older people get. And while this perspective might hold true in most cases, there are quite a few people who are diagnosed while still in the prime of their lives.
It is difficult to know what percentage of people with a diagnosis have early onset Parkinson’s because the symptoms are frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. This means that people could have early onset Parkinson’s without being diagnosed until they are in the age range where it is no longer early onset.
Fortunately for those diagnosed early, the progression of the disease is slower and less disruptive to their lifestyle.
Any number of reasons may contribute to this slowed progression, including the generally better health of the population under age 60, the higher activity level in physical therapy, or just the disease being in an earlier stage.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s are generally the same regardless of the age of the person. The most common symptom that people recognize is the presence of tremors. This involuntary movement is still present in younger Parkinson’s patients, but the tremors are milder.
The arrested movement and balance issues that are also indicative of Parkinson’s are not as prevalent in early onset patients. Most people believe that the larger muscle mass is the reason for this.
No cure exists for Parkinson’s at present. However, great progress has been made recently in discovering the causes of the condition. Other research aimed at specifically isolating a definition and set criteria for diagnosis is developing as well.
Given the slower progression of the disease in those diagnosed earlier in life, specialists are hopeful that maintaining physical function and medication can help keep the quality of life for these patients at a level comparable with their peers.
Learn more about early onset Parkinson’s by clicking here.
