Explainer: What is Parkinson’s?

Symptoms: The main symptoms are involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body, slow movement, and stiff muscles.

Causes: It is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain which means the brain doesn’t get as much dopamine as it should. Dopamine is needed to regulate the movement of the body. What causes this loss of nerve cells isn’t clear but experts think it’s a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Who can get it? Symptoms start to develop in people 50+, but this isn’t always the case. Men are more likely to get it than women.

Treatment: There is no cure but treatments can help reduce the main symptoms and maintain quality of life for as long as possible.

Can you die from it? Parkinson's does not directly cause people to die, but the condition can make some people more vulnerable to serious and life-threatening infections. However, with the right treatment, most people with Parkinson's now have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.

What support is there? Parkinson's UK is the main Parkinson's support and research charity in the UK. They can help if you're living with the disease and let you know about support groups in the area.

Elspeth Roberts...

Elspeth, 69, is a member of Eastbourne’s Parkinson’s Choir and retired in December after working in the NHS finance department for 30 years.

“I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011 but like many people I was having various symptoms for several years before that – I call Parkinson’s a weapon of stealth as it creeps up on you and many of the symptoms can be attributed to getting older.”

She said as there is no cure for Parkinson’s the medication you take needs to be ‘carefully monitored by a specialist nurse’.

Elspeth said: “Some of these drugs will cause side effects in some patients and also as time goes on the medication can become less effective – this is when the knowledge and experience of a PD Nurse is vital – there can be up to 40 different symptoms and every person with the disease may have a different version.”

Until Covid, Elspeth facilitated courses for people with Parkinson’s and their carers. Now she is unable to drive, but determined to stay positive.

She said: “Choir is an absolute life-saver for me. Nicky our singing teacher is amazing and one of the positive elements is a whole new circle of friends all of whom know exactly how I am feeling. I’m also a Volunteer Educator for Parkinson’s UK running Zoom sessions for staff in residential homes many of whom have no ideas about Parkinson’s.”

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