Parkinson's Disease: What Are The Symptoms And What Causes It?

The first time many of us heard of Parkinson's disease was when Michael J Fox announced he had the condition, back in 1999. Now it is back again in the spotlight after Billy Connolly revealed he also has it.

Like diabetes, there is no cure for Parkinson's, and scientists do not know what exactly causes the disease.

Around 127,000 people in the UK have Parkinson's disease, and it is caused by a loss of brain cells that produce a chemical messenger called dopamine.

Symptoms tend to get worse the longer a person has the disease because it is a progressive neurological disorder. It differs from case to case but often include a tremor or fine shake while the person is at rest, rigidity of muscles, slowness of movement and unsteady balance.

Tremor (shaking) Slowness of movement Rigidity (stiffness) Physical and other symptoms of Parkinson's Bladder and bowel problems Eye problems Falls and dizziness Freezing Pain Restless legs syndrome Skin, scalp and sweating problems Sleep problems Speech and communication problems Swallowing problems Anxiety Dementia Depression Hallucinations and delusions Memory problems

Source: Parkinson's UK

Other possible symptoms can include memory loss and earlier this year, Connolly admitted he had started to forget his lines during performances.

The NHS website advises: "The average age for the symptoms to start is around 60; although around 1 in 20 cases first develop in people aged under 50. Men are one-and-half times more likely to get Parkinsons disease than women."

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Parkinson's Disease: What Are The Symptoms And What Causes It?