15 Lesser-Known Signs That May Point to Parkinson’s Disease

7. Issues Writing

Parkinson's disease can sometimes lead to issues writing, particularly with handwriting. Patients who experience a condition called freezing of gait might also have the same problems with writing. This is a motor issue that exists outside the typical gait freezing episodes. Handwriting is considered a sequential movement, which requires a specific type of motor function. This means patients who experience freezing of gait might be more likely to have handwriting impairment than patients who don't. Patients with Parkinson's disease might find that they have a decreased ability to print or to write in cursive. In one study, Parkinson's patients who have freezing of gait struggled with all forms of handwriting, but they had the most trouble when they were supposed to alternate handwriting sizes rather than shaping the letters at one continuous size. The same study showed Parkinson's disease patients without freezing of gait did experience some handwriting difficulty, but not to the same extent as those who had freezing of gait. Individuals might experience something called micrographia, which causes handwriting to be abnormally small and cramped due to a neurodegenerative disorder.

8. Loss Of Ability To Smell

Losing the ability to smell is not always an indicator of Parkinson's disease, and it could be indicative of several things. With that said, the majority of individuals with Parkinson's disease have lost some sense of smell. Hyposmia, the medical term for a reduced sense of smell, can often be pinpointed as an early sign of Parkinson's disease. Some patients can pinpoint their loss of smell as having started several years before their Parkinson's disease diagnosis. However, since the loss of the sense of smell is so gradual, and because we do not often pay much active attention to what we are smelling, many individuals do not notice it right away. Patients are unlikely to report it, and doctors don't often ask about it. One way to check for hyposmia is by smelling licorice, pickles, bananas, or other foods with strong odors. If individuals have trouble identifying the scents, they should talk to a doctor.