Experts reveal easy-to-dismiss signs of Parkinson’s as they claim thousands may be unaware they have the disease

Thousands of people could be living with Parkinson’s disease completely unaware as they miss some of the signs, according to a new study.

The charity Parkinson’s UK has warned that over 20,000 people could be living with undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease in a shocking claim.

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time, and while it sadly can't be cured, medicines may help symptoms get better and make living with it more manageable, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The charity claimed that due to a massive backlog in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people haven’t been diagnosed.

They claimed that people now face a ‘diagnosis crisis’ as some people face waits of up to 5 years to see a neurologist.

Research published in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice claimed that diagnosis levels still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels despite the return to normal after COVID-19.

Parkinson's disease is going under-diagnosed in the UK due to in part the backlog caused by COVID-19 (Getty Stock Image)

The study took data from 18 million primary care records and found that diagnosis rates dropped by 26 per cent between 2019 and 2021, from 26,000 to 19,300.

While many people have to wait to have their symptoms clearly diagnosed, Victoria Baggaley - a senior helpline advisor at Parkinson's UK who offers support for people diagnosed with the condition - previously spoke to the Sun and highlighted some of the classic symptoms of the disease.

Some of the easily overlooked signs include:

Loss of sense of smell,

This is something that is common in patients with Parkinson’s.

Baggaley said: “For example, some people may struggle to smell their favorite foods, and this can start years before other symptoms develop.

Sleep problems

People commonly end up having sleep problems due to other symptoms that can occur, like stiffness, pain and restlessness in their limbs.

Issues around momentarily stopping breathing when sleeping can also be experienced.

Stiffness can result in poor and restless sleep (Getty Stock Image)

Handwriting changes

Baggaley states that changes in the brain, due to suffering from the disease, can result in a change in handwriting.

She said: “Because of changes in the brain, people with Parkinson's can find their movements become smaller and less forceful than before.

“This can lead to someone's handwriting becoming smaller than it previously was or gradually getting tinier on the page.”

Bladder and bowel problems

The expert noted that changes to these habits may be a sign of suffering from the disease.

Baggaley said: “Needing to pee immediately without warning or go frequently throughout the night are the most common bladder symptoms and constipation is the most common bowel problem.”

Depression

Depression is experienced by almost half of all people suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Baggaley added: “This is characterized by feelings of extreme sadness or a sense of emotional emptiness for a long time.”

It can also be presented as simply low energy, difficulty concentrating and increased hunger.

Depression and anxiety are also common symptoms for those suffering with the illness (Getty Stock Image)

Anxiety

Feelings of anxiety are also common, but isn’t depicted as a simple state of worry.

It may also manifest itself as a sense of dread, concentration issues, racing heart rate and dizziness.

Fatigue

This is a different kind of fatigue that doesn’t go away after you have rested.

The sign can fluctuate day to day and change in magnitude.

While there is no cure for the illness, earlier diagnosis and treatment can help reduce the impacts of the disease.