Jeremy Paxman has revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after a fall on icy ground while walking his dog.
“The first thing I knew was when somebody was sitting me on a bench. I’d fallen over and I made a terrible mess of my face,” the 72-year-old says.
He continues: “When I was in the emergency room, a doctor walked in and said, ‘I think you’ve got Parkinson’s.’ And it turned out that he had been watching University Challenge and had noticed that my face had acquired what’s known as the ‘Parkinson’s mask’. I wasn’t as effusive and exuberant as normal. I had no idea.”
In August, Mr Paxman announced he was departing the legendary quiz show after 29 years.
“It’s a much more complicated disease than people give it credit for, isn’t it? Because everyone associates it with the tremors,” The Chase’s Paul Sinha says, who also has Parkinson’s. “But at the moment the tremors are not really part of my diagnosis. For me, it’s the tightness and slowness of movement.”
Read: Billy Connolly: I don’t want to be on stage with Parkinson’s
Researchers don’t yet know exactly why people develop Parkinson’s. They believe it’s a combination of age, genetic and lifestyle factors, causing certain nerve cells to die – meaning the brain can’t produce enough dopamine to control movement properly.
“There are more than 40 symptoms, ranging from pain to insomnia to anxiety,” says Dr Rowan Wathes, associate director of the UK Parkinson’s Excellence Network (parkinsons.org.uk).
“However, people’s experiences of Parkinson’s can vary, and not everyone will experience all of these symptoms all the time.” If you’re worried about any potential symptoms, see your GP for advice.
The ‘classic’ Parkinson’s tremor can start as a small but uncontrollable movement, usually first appearing in the hand before ‘spreading’ to affect the rest of the arm, or down to the foot on the same side of the body.
“There are two common types of tremor,” Dr Wathes says. “A resting tremor happens when someone is still and relaxed, for example when lying in bed. An action tremor happens midway through a task, when someone is trying to hold a magazine or drink from a glass.”
Here, Dr Wathes talks through some of the less commonly known signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s.
1. Rigidity
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Muscles can become tight and stiff, which may affect movement in a variety of ways, such as a person not being able to swing their arms when they walk.
“Some people with Parkinson’s can struggle to turn around, get out of chairs and even turn over in bed,” says Dr Wathes. “Simple tasks can become a lot harder, for example fastening buttons, typing or writing. Handwriting may become noticeably ‘spidery’, smaller or difficult to read.”
2. Slowness of movement
As movement slows down, a person’s coordination might be affected.
“The way they walk can look more like a shuffle and their pace might slow down,” Dr Wathes explains. “Everyday tasks we take for granted, such as paying for shopping at a check-out or opening a packet of food, might take longer.”
Read: My journey with Parkinson’s disease
3. A decreased sense of smell
“Some people notice their sense of smell, especially when it comes to familiar or favourite foods, has disappeared,” Dr Wathes says, a condition known as hyposmia. “This can sometimes start years before other symptoms develop, even before diagnosis.”
4. The Parkinson’s mask
As mentioned by Mr Paxman, the ‘Parkinson’s mask’ refers to the way a person’s facial muscles are affected, meaning their expressions could appear less varied, blank or sad.
“This can happen even if they are actually experiencing a strong emotion,” Dr Wathes explains. “The medical term is hypomimia, but medication, as well as speech and language therapy, can help people experiencing this.”
5. Hallucinations
“Many people with Parkinson’s say they experience hallucinations at some point,” Dr Wathes says, suggesting this usually happens as a side effect of medication. “But in some cases can be a symptom of Parkinson’s itself, or another condition, such as dementia.”
Read: Sufferers speak out about living with Parkinson’s
6. Swallowing
Dr Wathes says people with Parkinson’s “might cough when eating or drinking, or find it difficult to keep food or drink in their mouth. Chewing food can take longer, and some people struggle to open their mouths.”
Did you know these lesser-known signs of Parkinson’s? Let us know in the comments section below.
– With PA
