Why do some people wake up in the morning feeling a quiver?  Why do their arms shake?  Well, there is a very simple explanation for those symptoms. They have a disease called Parkinson’s disease.  Parkinson’s is a continuous nervous system disorder that affects movement, symptoms can start slowly, for example a little shake in one hand.  Parkinson’s also cause stiffness or moving slow.  Experts say Parkinson’s disease can’t be cured. However there are organizations trying to find a cure, such as the Michael J Fox Foundation.  Medications can also be used to greatly improve your symptoms.  Doctors also suggest surgery to control certain regions of a person’s brain.

Symptoms are different for everyone, but here are a few of the more common symptoms. The first, tingling.  Shaking, this often begin in a limb, and when someone has their hand at rest it may shake the further along in the disease.  Another symptom is slow movement, otherwise known as bradykinesia.  A person’s steps may become shorter, and it could be hard to do simple tasks such as, getting out of a chair.  Some people also drag their feet as they take steps, muscles not being able to bend may also occur.  This is where the muscles become so stiff that any movement of the muscles can be painful and can limit how much a person can move things such as their hands.  They could also have balance problems and ruined posture due to Parkinson’s disease. 

A person’s normal movements could also be messed up, they may have a lower percentage ability to do automatic movements such as blinking, smiling, or swinging your arms as you walk.  One of the worst problems is how someone talks.  Your speech could become slurred.  They may talk softly, quickly, or may hesitate before they talk.  Your writing may become small or it could be hard to write.  

When people start experiencing these symptoms, they should see a doctor right away to diagnose their condition and to rule out other causes for symptoms.  With Parkinson’s disease certain nerves slowly break down or die.  Most people who have this disease lose the neurons that produce dopamine, the chemical that makes a person feel happiness.  No Dopamine causes weird brain activity, which then leads to Parkinson’s symptoms.  The cause of Parkinson’s disease is currently unknown, but there are organizations working to cure it.